TRANS LIVES MATTER
Brianna Ghey: The young killers who tried to get away with murderLauren Hirst - BBC News
Wed, December 20, 2023
Brianna Ghey was found dead at Culcheth Linear Park after being stabbed 28 times
Within 24 hours of the murder of Brianna Ghey, investigating officers had identified the suspects - two teenagers who thought that hiding the most brutal of killings would be easy.
The pair, who were just 15 at the time, were quickly arrested at their homes and taken away for questioning.
Detectives would soon unravel the crime despite the killers arrogantly presuming their endless lies would save them.
Sixteen-year-old Brianna, who was transgender, was stabbed 28 times in broad daylight in Culcheth Linear Park in Cheshire on the afternoon of 11 February.
The teenagers, who were referred to only as girl X and boy Y during their trial due to their age, have both been convicted of her murder.
Warning: Some readers might find the following report distressing
The court heard how their web of deceit began shortly after the killing when the pair began to craft what they thought would emerge to be a subtle cover story.
Girl X messaged boy Y to say a "woman got stabbed" in the park.
"Holy crap" was boy X's reply despite the pair later admitting to police they were present during the stabbing - albeit blaming each other for the killing.
The following day, girl X messaged Brianna saying: "Girl, is everything okay? Some teenage girl got killed in Linear Park its on news everywhere.
"And why did you ditch us for some random man from Manchester. Like wtf."
For Det Ch Supt Mike Evans, it became clear early on that the two school pupils believed they could cover their tracks.
Girl X, who has traits of autism and ADHD, even assured boy Y, who has been diagnosed with selective mutism and autism spectrum disorder, that he would not be caught, criticising the capabilities of police in the area.
"These are really high functioning, intelligent children," said the officer, who is head of crime at Cheshire Police.
"I know people sat at home reading this will have this sort of image that they've built themselves.
"But actually they're both really clever kids and very bright, very articulate.
"I think probably their downfall has been their confidence or arrogance around the fact that they thought that they could take another human life and then thought there would be no comeuppance for them and they'd never get caught."
Once their lies unravelled, the truth that emerged was that both had a fascination with violence, torture and murder and had planned the killing for weeks.
Messages between them showed they encouraged one and other to think about how they would actually carry out a killing.
Girl X admitted she enjoyed "dark fantasies" but the jury did not accept her claims that she had no intention of turning them into reality.
Neither did the jury accept boy Y's claims that he had simply played along with these fantasies and did not take them seriously.
However, police admit they may never know exactly what motivated the teenagers to act.
Det Ch Supt Mike Evans described the attack on Brianna as "violent and vicious"
Det Ch Supt Evans continued: "I don't think many of us has ever seen the level of depravity shown and the dehumanising nature of the text messages between the two, and the hatred towards Brianna and others for no reason whatsoever.
"And just that thirst for killing from two 15 year olds - that was really disturbing.
"And we still do not know to why they've done it. What led them to want to do it?
"Obviously now they they've played on the fact that they thought it was fantasy and but when you read those messages, it was quite clear that was a plan. That wasn't a fantasy."
Brianna was found by dog walkers in Culcheth Linear Park
Both teenagers spoke about people they wanted to kill and by 26 January - just two weeks before Brianna's death - they had compiled a "kill list" of five people.
"We never built this case around a transgender element," he said.
"This was about the murder of a young, vulnerable girl. We obviously know there was that kill list, which had five people on it. Brianna was one of them.
"Brianna was the only person on that list who was transgender. This was about murderous intent for somebody."
In one message, girl X messaged boy Y telling him she was "obsessed over someone" called Brianna but did not have feelings for the teenager.
"She was really cruel. This girl was the one who has befriended and who has betrayed and who has essentially instigated this attack throughout," said Det Ch Supt Evans.
"She has been the planner behind it. She's been the person who was sending the text messages and ultimately lured Brianna out to her death and then murdered her in the coldest fashion."
Ursula Doyle, the Crown Prosecution Service's deputy chief crown prosecutor, said one of the key elements of the case was the messages, which "provided a terrifying insight into the warped fantasies" of the teenagers.
"This actually gave us detailed knowledge and insight into the relationship of the two defendants, what they talked about, the dark fantasies and the content of those messages were chilling," she added.
"It also gave us the evidence to actually see how the whole event had unfolded from the planning right the way through to luring Brianna to the park on that date.
"In fact, the way the attack was carried out was exactly the way it had been planned."
A handwritten note of "murder plan" to kill Brianna was found in girl X's bedroom
She said the investigation was one of the most disturbing cases she had dealt with during her career.
"The planning, the violence and the age of the killers is beyond belief," she said.
Det Ch Supt Evans added: "I think this case is truly horrific.
"I would rather we talked about Brianna than these two individuals.
"I think what they did on that day and leading up to that day was evil. It was cruel and it was vicious.
"But as I say, I only want to think about Brianna going forward, not these two individuals who hopefully now will remain in prison for a considerable amount of time."
Jury convicts boy and girl in England of murdering transgender teenager in frenzied knife attack
PAN PYLAS
Updated Wed, December 20, 2023
This undated family handout file photo issued by Cheshire Police of Brianna Ghey shows Brianna Ghey smiling. On Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, a boy and a girl, both 16, have been found guilty of the murder of teenager Brianna Ghey in a park. Brianna, 16, was stabbed with a hunting knife in a park in Culcheth, near Warrington, on the afternoon of February 11.
(Cheshire Police Department via AP)
LONDON (AP) — A boy and a girl were found guilty Wednesday of murdering a transgender teenager in northwest England earlier this year, in a frenzied knife attack that was described as “horrific” by police.
Brianna Ghey, 16, was stabbed with a hunting knife 28 times in her head, neck, chest and back in broad daylight after being lured to a park in the town of Warrington on Feb. 11.
The convicted pair, who are identified only as girl X and boy Y, are 16 now but were 15 at the time. They denied killing Ghey, and each blamed the other for the fatal stabbing. It is not known which one or if both wielded the knife. Neither had been in trouble with police before.
A jury of seven men and five women convicted the two following a four-week trial at Manchester Crown Court. The jurors deliberated for just four hours and 40 minutes of deliberations.
“You probably didn’t anticipate sitting on a case as emotionally difficult as this one," Justice Amanda Yip told them.
The trial heard that the young defendants were intelligent and had a fascination with violence, torture and serial killers. They had planned the attack for weeks, detailed in a handwritten plan and phone messages found by detectives. They had also discussed killing others, which prompted police early in the investigation to rule out transphobia as a motivation behind Brianna's murder.
Police believe Brianna was killed because she was vulnerable and accessible, with her death not a hate crime but done for “enjoyment” and a “thirst for killing.”
“This was a senseless murder committed by two teenagers who have an obsession with murder," said Nigel Parr, senior investigating officer from Cheshire Police. “Brianna trusted the female defendant, she was betrayed by someone she called her friend.”
Yip said she won't be sentencing the pair this week. She said a life sentence was mandatory but that she would await psychologists' reports before deciding the minimum prison time the pair will be required to serve before being eligible for parole.
“Frankly I don’t expect them to make a huge difference to the outcome in sentencing but given their ages and the unusual circumstances of the case, I think it is right I have all the information available," the judge said.
Neither defendant displayed a visible reaction to the verdicts.
Girl X spoke to her social worker and glanced at her parents when leaving the courtroom, while Boy Y, who avoids all eye contact, did not look over at his mother as he was led from the dock carrying his Sudoku puzzles book.
Boy Y has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and is non-verbal and girl X has traits of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Outside the court, Brianna's mother said her daughter's killers had not shown “an ounce of remorse” but she called for the families of the convicted pair to be shown some empathy and compassion.
“We miss Brianna so much and our house feels empty without her laughter," Esther Ghey said. “To know how scared my usually fearless child must have been when she was alone in that park with someone that she called her friend will haunt me forever.”
LONDON (AP) — A boy and a girl were found guilty Wednesday of murdering a transgender teenager in northwest England earlier this year, in a frenzied knife attack that was described as “horrific” by police.
Brianna Ghey, 16, was stabbed with a hunting knife 28 times in her head, neck, chest and back in broad daylight after being lured to a park in the town of Warrington on Feb. 11.
The convicted pair, who are identified only as girl X and boy Y, are 16 now but were 15 at the time. They denied killing Ghey, and each blamed the other for the fatal stabbing. It is not known which one or if both wielded the knife. Neither had been in trouble with police before.
A jury of seven men and five women convicted the two following a four-week trial at Manchester Crown Court. The jurors deliberated for just four hours and 40 minutes of deliberations.
“You probably didn’t anticipate sitting on a case as emotionally difficult as this one," Justice Amanda Yip told them.
The trial heard that the young defendants were intelligent and had a fascination with violence, torture and serial killers. They had planned the attack for weeks, detailed in a handwritten plan and phone messages found by detectives. They had also discussed killing others, which prompted police early in the investigation to rule out transphobia as a motivation behind Brianna's murder.
Police believe Brianna was killed because she was vulnerable and accessible, with her death not a hate crime but done for “enjoyment” and a “thirst for killing.”
“This was a senseless murder committed by two teenagers who have an obsession with murder," said Nigel Parr, senior investigating officer from Cheshire Police. “Brianna trusted the female defendant, she was betrayed by someone she called her friend.”
Yip said she won't be sentencing the pair this week. She said a life sentence was mandatory but that she would await psychologists' reports before deciding the minimum prison time the pair will be required to serve before being eligible for parole.
“Frankly I don’t expect them to make a huge difference to the outcome in sentencing but given their ages and the unusual circumstances of the case, I think it is right I have all the information available," the judge said.
Neither defendant displayed a visible reaction to the verdicts.
Girl X spoke to her social worker and glanced at her parents when leaving the courtroom, while Boy Y, who avoids all eye contact, did not look over at his mother as he was led from the dock carrying his Sudoku puzzles book.
Boy Y has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and is non-verbal and girl X has traits of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Outside the court, Brianna's mother said her daughter's killers had not shown “an ounce of remorse” but she called for the families of the convicted pair to be shown some empathy and compassion.
“We miss Brianna so much and our house feels empty without her laughter," Esther Ghey said. “To know how scared my usually fearless child must have been when she was alone in that park with someone that she called her friend will haunt me forever.”
Two 16-Year-Olds Found Guilty of Murdering Trans Teen Brianna Ghey
Samantha Riedel
THEM
Wed, December 20, 2023
Guy Smallman/Getty Images
Two British teenagers have been found guilty of murdering 16-year-old trans teen Brianna Ghey earlier this year, in a jury verdict handed down Wednesday.
The jury reportedly deliberated for just under five hours before convicting the two defendants, who have been referred to only as “Girl X” and “Boy Y” due to U.K. privacy laws. Presiding justice Amanda Yip said she expects to sentence both youths next month, according to the Manchester Evening News. Although both are facing mandatory lifetime prison terms, Yip will decide the length of time each must serve before being considered for early release.
“I'm going to ask for some more reports in relation to each of you,” Yip told the pair, “to see what other steps need to be taken before I sentence.” Both defendants were diagnosed with separate mental health conditions after their arrest; in particular, Boy Y developed selective mutism and communicated with the court via text, per reporting from The Guardian.
Brianna Ghey’s murder trial began in late November, 10 months after she was stabbed 28 times in Culcheth Linear Park near her home in Warrington, England. As the jury found this week, Girl X and Boy Y plotted her killing for months, inspired by Girl X’s “obsession” with Ghey, which spiraled into homicidal fantasies. Although both teens were found to have planned other murders, Ghey’s appears to have been the only one they brought to fruition. Over WhatsApp messages, the two discussed how it might be “easier” to kill Ghey than another boy whose murder they had discussed, prosecutors showed, and frequently used dehumanizing language about Ghey’s gender and anatomy. In their texts, Girl X excitedly wondered how Ghey’s screams would sound, while Boy Y was fixated on Ghey’s genitals and what they looked like.
Although the two concocted a multi-step plan to get away with Ghey’s murder together, both teens turned on one another after being arrested, The Guardian reported. Boy Y claimed across five interviews with police that Girl X had stabbed Ghey herself while Boy Y’s back was turned; by the same token, Girl X later claimed Boy Y had done it while her back was turned, after her planned alibi about Ghey vanishing “with some lad from Manchester” fell apart.
After deliberating, the jury determined neither story was credible, finding both teens guilty of “joint enterprise homicide.” The U.K.-specific charge refers to situations in which one defendant may not have physically participated in a killing, but is still culpable due to their proximity. While they may seem tailor-made for the case of Brianna Ghey’s killing, “joint enterprise” charges have also come under fire in the U.K. for disproportionately punishing Black people.
Wed, December 20, 2023
Guy Smallman/Getty Images
Two British teenagers have been found guilty of murdering 16-year-old trans teen Brianna Ghey earlier this year, in a jury verdict handed down Wednesday.
The jury reportedly deliberated for just under five hours before convicting the two defendants, who have been referred to only as “Girl X” and “Boy Y” due to U.K. privacy laws. Presiding justice Amanda Yip said she expects to sentence both youths next month, according to the Manchester Evening News. Although both are facing mandatory lifetime prison terms, Yip will decide the length of time each must serve before being considered for early release.
“I'm going to ask for some more reports in relation to each of you,” Yip told the pair, “to see what other steps need to be taken before I sentence.” Both defendants were diagnosed with separate mental health conditions after their arrest; in particular, Boy Y developed selective mutism and communicated with the court via text, per reporting from The Guardian.
Brianna Ghey’s murder trial began in late November, 10 months after she was stabbed 28 times in Culcheth Linear Park near her home in Warrington, England. As the jury found this week, Girl X and Boy Y plotted her killing for months, inspired by Girl X’s “obsession” with Ghey, which spiraled into homicidal fantasies. Although both teens were found to have planned other murders, Ghey’s appears to have been the only one they brought to fruition. Over WhatsApp messages, the two discussed how it might be “easier” to kill Ghey than another boy whose murder they had discussed, prosecutors showed, and frequently used dehumanizing language about Ghey’s gender and anatomy. In their texts, Girl X excitedly wondered how Ghey’s screams would sound, while Boy Y was fixated on Ghey’s genitals and what they looked like.
Although the two concocted a multi-step plan to get away with Ghey’s murder together, both teens turned on one another after being arrested, The Guardian reported. Boy Y claimed across five interviews with police that Girl X had stabbed Ghey herself while Boy Y’s back was turned; by the same token, Girl X later claimed Boy Y had done it while her back was turned, after her planned alibi about Ghey vanishing “with some lad from Manchester” fell apart.
After deliberating, the jury determined neither story was credible, finding both teens guilty of “joint enterprise homicide.” The U.K.-specific charge refers to situations in which one defendant may not have physically participated in a killing, but is still culpable due to their proximity. While they may seem tailor-made for the case of Brianna Ghey’s killing, “joint enterprise” charges have also come under fire in the U.K. for disproportionately punishing Black people.
Everything We Know About the Death of Brianna Ghey and Her Killers' Murder Trial
Ten months after the death of UK trans teen Brianna Ghey, her killers were convicted.
“This has been one of the most disturbing cases we have ever dealt with,” prosecutor Ursula Doyle said this week, according to Sky News. “The planning, the violence and the age of the killers is beyond belief.”
Ghey’s classmates have honored her memory after her death, even though her friends say she was targeted by bullies in life. Students across Warrington wore pink, her favorite color, in a vibrant tribute on November 7 — the day Brianna Ghey would have turned 17.
Originally Appeared on them.
Newspaper headlines: Murder teens 'show no remorse' and 'surprise fall in inflation'
BBC News - Staff
Wed, December 20, 2023
The conviction of two teenagers over the murder of Brianna Ghey dominates many of Thursday's newspaper front pages. The story leads the Daily Mail, the headline quoting the schoolgirl's parents: "What they did to our beautiful Brianna will haunt us forever." The trial of the teenagers heard the pair were intelligent, "high functioning" and came from normal backgrounds, but had a "thirst for killing".More
"We will never stop loving her" is the quote leading the Daily Mirror as the parents of Brianna Ghey pay tribute to their daughter following the murder verdict. Dame Esther Rantzen is also pictured on the front page as the paper covers her call for assisted dying in the UK. Dame Esther has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and has said she may travel to an assisted dying clinic in Switzerland if treatments fail.More
"We must give Dame Esther her final campaign victory," writes the Daily Express, as the paper calls for MPs to hold a debate on assisted dying, which is currently outlawed in the UK. The paper also features more reaction from Brianna Ghey's parents, as well as a report on falling inflation, which reached 3.9% in the UK, the lowest annual rate of price rises in more than two years.More
The i newspaper previews predicted tax cuts planned by the government next year on its front page after what it calls a "surprise fall" in inflation. The paper also suggests a boost for mortgages as a result of the cut and says its economists predict rates will continue to nose-dive.
The Times also focuses on the economy, with its headline reading: "Cheaper mortgages set to ease livings costs." The paper predicts that more than a million homeowners will benefit from the falling rates. Sticking to the homeowner trend, the paper also bills a story about automatic long-stay visas being granted to Brits who own homes in France. The move indicates a "thawing" of Paris-London relations, it writes.More
The Financial Times offers its take on the interest rate fall, also describing it as "surprisingly sharp" and suggesting it is now "more likely" the Bank of England will cut rates in the first half of the new year. Leading the FT, however, is an interview with India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, who responds to allegations of an Indian assassination plot in the US. The paper reports that Mr Modi says he will "look into" the evidence.More
The Guardian leads with a report into what it says is a law change that will allow police to run facial recognition searches on a database of Britain's drivers' licence holders. It writes that the law's critics believe it "poses risk of bias and threat to civil liberties". In international news, the paper also reports on the push for a second hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. Israel says 132 people remain unaccounted for after being abducted by Hamas and taken to Gaza on 7 October, an attack that provoked retaliatory strikes in the Palestinian territory that have killed some 20,000 according to the Hamas-run health ministry.More
"Sunak vows to defend Ulster veterans," the Daily Telegraph headlines a report on Ireland's intent to commence a legal challenge against the UK government over its decision to offer immunity for Troubles-era crimes. The UK's controversial Troubles legacy act became law in September, despite opposition from Dublin and all Northern Ireland's main political parties.More
The Metro leads with the release of a British billionaire after he was kidnapped in Ecuador. Colin Armstrong, 78, was abducted on Saturday from a farm he owned near the city of Guayaquil. Accompanying the story is a photo of Armstrong and his girlfriend, as well as a photo released by police of the freed businessman with officers.More
The Sun reports that Bargain Hunt's Charles Hanson has been charged "following a police probe into domestic abuse allegations". Also on the front page, the Sun says that Josie Gibson is the frontrunner to replace Holly Willougby on Dancing On Ice.
It's an apocalyptic front page for the Daily Star as it leads with a global warming warning, suggesting the intestinal gas of elderly people carries some of the blame.
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