The mother of 16-year-old transgender girl, Brianna Ghey, expressed her profound grief as her daughter’s murderers, Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, faced sentencing. The pair had lured Brianna to a park in Cheshire in February 2023, where she was stabbed 28 times. Esther Ghey, Brianna’s mother, stated in court that she believes the two 16-year-olds will always be a threat to society.
Esther Ghey found it particularly difficult to accept that one of the accused was someone she had thought was her daughter’s friend. She expressed doubts about their potential for rehabilitation given their obsession with murder and torture.
Brianna’s sister, Alisha Ghey, shared her struggle with trust since it was a friend who ended Brianna’s life. She expressed her ongoing pain and longing to hear her sister’s voice and laughter again.
Peter Spooner, Brianna’s father, spoke about the challenges and pride of being the father of a transgender child. He expressed his anger and sorrow over the loss of his daughter’s life and potential future, calling her killers “pure evil.”
Wesley Powell, Brianna’s stepfather, described how despite her large online following, Brianna was lonely and vulnerable in real life. He accused Jenkinson and Ratcliffe of exploiting her vulnerabilities.
The court heard how Jenkinson and Ratcliffe had planned Brianna’s murder for weeks and had even created a “kill list” of five children before choosing Brianna as their target. The pair had a fascination with violence, torture, and murder, encouraging each other to think about how they would carry out a killing.
After the murder, both teenagers returned home and acted as if nothing had happened. A knife with Ratcliffe’s DNA on the handle and Brianna’s blood on the blade was later found in his bedroom.
During the trial, both teenagers blamed each other for the murder. However, prosecutor Deanna Heer KC revealed that Jenkinson had confessed to a psychiatrist that she had stabbed Brianna.
Jenkinson also had a second “kill list” of staff at the secure youth accommodation where she is being held. Her defense counsel, Richard Pratt KC, stated during the sentencing hearing that she now claimed Ratcliffe did most of the stabbing but that she enjoyed it.
A review is currently underway regarding an incident at Culcheth High School, where Jenkinson was transferred from after drugging a younger pupil with a cannabis sweet.
