Brianna Ghey's teenage killers to be sentenced for murder and publicly named for first time

2 February 2024, 07:59 | Updated: 2 February 2024, 09:57

By Jasmine Moody

The girl and boy who murdered trans teenager Brianna Ghey will be sentenced for murder and publicly named for the first time.

The defendants, who are both 16, identified only as Girl X and Boy Y during their four-week trial last December at Manchester Crown Court now face a mandatory life sentence.

Girl X and Boy Y were both 15 when they carried out the "disturbing" plan to murder Brianna, 16, in a "frenzied and ferocious" attack with a hunting knife.

Now, the pair will be named for the first time when they are sentenced later on Friday after a senior judge, Mrs Justice Yip, indicated she will lift a court order banning the press from identifying them.

Though Brianna disliked leaving home, she set off on the bus to meet the two teens in Culcheth village, sending a text to her mum on the way which said she felt scared.

The pair then walked Brianna down narrow alleys and into the park, arriving at a bench where Brianna's body would later be found.

Anxious and vulnerable Brianna was stabbed 28 times in the head, neck, chest and back after being lured to Linear Park, Culcheth, a village near Warrington, Cheshire, on the afternoon of February 11 last year.

Read more: 'My daughter's murder will haunt me forever': Brianna Ghey's mum pays heartbreaking tribute to 'fearless' trans teenager
Read more: Heartbreaking moment Brianna Ghey left home for last time as texts 'show teenagers plot murder'

The killers were seen running from there through a field, then dumped Brianna's phone and acted normally in the hope of avoiding capture - and part of a plan that was found written down by the girl after she was arrested.

Meanwhile, Boy Y was found with a bloodied knife in his bedroom. Deleted messages on their phones were recovered by officers.

The boy and girl had denied murder, instead, blaming each other for the killing, which was described as "horrific" by detectives.

Intelligent, "high functioning" and coming from normal backgrounds, the trial heard the pair had a fascination with violence, torture and murder and a "thirst for killing".

Neither had been in trouble with the police before.

The pair had discussed Brianna's murder for weeks; detectives had found a detailed handwritten murder plan and phone messages.

Jurors were told it was "difficult to fathom" how the two child defendants could carry out such a disturbing crime.

Girl X, while aged 14, downloaded a TOR internet browser app to watch videos of the torture and murder of real people, in "red rooms" on the "dark web".

The trial heard how she developed an interest in serial killers, making notes on their methods, and admitted enjoying "dark fantasies" about killing and torture, with the pair living in a secret world of warped interest in murder and cruelty.

Boy Y, who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and is non-verbal, and girl X, diagnosed with traits of autism and ADHD, are both held in secure youth detention.

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Girl X claimed that while she enjoyed fantasies about murder she never intended any of it to become reality while the boy claimed he just played along and never wanted to harm anyone.

Brianna's devastated mother, Esther, said the teenagers did not "display an ounce of remorse for what they have done" and was "glad they will spend many years in prison away from society".

They will be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court.