Boy accused of murdering trans schoolgirl Brianna Ghey blamed his alleged accomplice entirely for the killing, telling police ‘I panicked and ran’, court hears
- The boy said that Girl X seemed 'calm' after the stabbing but he was 'stressed'
By James Tozer[1] and Andy Russell[2]
Published: 15:44, 4 December 2023 | Updated: 15:54, 4 December 2023
A teenage boy accused of the murder of schoolgirl Brianna Ghey[3] claimed he saw a 15-year-old girl stab her 'at least three times', a court heard today.
The teenager, now 16 and referred to as Boy Y, made the claim at the start of his police interview which was played to the jury at Manchester Crown Court.
The court has been told that Brianna, who was transgender[4], died after being stabbed 28 times in Culcheth Linear Park in Cheshire in February after being lured there by Boy Y and his co-accused, referred to as Girl X.
The boy, who was 15 at the time, claimed in the interview two days after the murder that he had been invited to meet Girl X and Brianna in the former railway cutting on Saturday, February 11.
'We met up in Culcheth,' he said. 'We walked to the forest. I turned away to go to the toilet on a tree.
'When I turned back around I saw [Girl X] stabbing Brianna. Brianna was curled up on the floor.
'I went over to check if Brianna was alive.
I put my hands on her and got blood all over them. I panicked and went with [Girl X].'
Brianna Ghey (pictured) died aged 16 in February this year. She was a pupil at Birchwood High School in Warrington
Brianna (pictured), 16, was found with fatal wounds on a path in Culcheth Linear Park, near her home in Warrington
Police at the scene in Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington, Cheshire following the death of Brianna Ghey
The boy was asked to describe what Girl X was doing and made a downward motion with his hand.
He said that Girl X had a knife in her hand which he had not seen before.
'When I turned around, I saw her stab her at least three times that I saw to the back and the side, the right side,' he said.
'I went up to Brianna to see if she was alive. I put my hand to see if she was breathing.
'I got blood on my hand.
I panicked and ran.'
He said that Girl X seemed 'calm' after the stabbing but he was 'stressed and shocked'.
The boy, from Leigh, Greater Manchester, told officers that he thought he had heard a whispered conversation between Girl X and Brianna moments before the stabbing.
He said he turned around and 'heard a thud on the floor' as he saw Girl X stab the victim.
He said that the incident lasted 'only two seconds'.
Girl X claimed in her own police interview that after meeting her and Boy Y in the park, Brianna 'ditched' them to meet a 17-year-old boy from Manchester she had met online.
She 'was upset and burst out crying' when she learned that Brianna had been killed.
'We were sat there chilling for a bit,' she said. 'She looked at her phone. She was like I need to go and meet this lad.
Brianna Ghey, 16, was found with 28 stab wounds in a park in Cheshire on February 11
The court has been told that Brianna, who was transgender , died after being stabbed 28 times in Culcheth Linear Park in Cheshire in February after being lured there by Boy Y and his co-accused, referred to as Girl X
Click here to listen to the Mail's new podcast The Trial[5]
The Trial...takes listeners behind the headlines and into the courtrooms of some of the biggest trials in the world.
The first series 'The Trial of Lucy Letby' was a global hit, with more than 13 million downloads, while season two focused on the murder of Ashling Murphy, a 23-year-old teacher from Ireland.
Its third season follows the tragic case of Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old transgender girl killed in Warrington, England.
Follow the evidence as the jury hears it, in twice-weekly reports from The Daily Mail's Northern Correspondent Liz Hull and broadcast journalist Caroline Cheetham.
Advertisement'She wouldn't give me any information. She said he was 17 and from Manchester, he was going to pick her up.
'She started having a go at me saying 'Stop interrogating me'.
And she just walked off. She ditched me. We didn't know what to do.
None of us followed after her.
'[Boy Y] was snapping at me saying 'It's fine, leave it'.
'I didn't hear from her for the rest of the night.'
She claimed she messaged Brianna in the evening.
She said: 'I had a bit of a go at her, saying why did you just leave us. She didn't respond.'
The girl, who was 15 at the time, said she only learned of Brianna's death when it was 'on the news'.
She said that she was 'very emotional' and told her mother who then phoned police.
Both defendants listened to the interview and followed transcripts via a video link to the secure units where they are being held.
Before the jury were played the interviews, trial judge Mrs Justice Yip said that Girl X had been diagnosed with traits of autism and Boy Y had been diagnosed with the condition.
The judge said: 'Guard against making assumptions on anything based other than the evidence.
'One important example is you should not be unfairly influenced by body language or appearance.
'Bear in mind that different people react to different things in different ways.'
She told them Boy Y's autism diagnosis affected his 'presentation, communication skills, volume and tone'.
'During interviews, he spoke very quietly. The prosecution have enhanced the volume.
You may notice he is not expressive, he rarely makes eye contact.'
She said interviewing officers also provided him with a football to 'ease his anxiety while he was being interviewed'.
Both defendants deny murder and now blame each other for wielding the hunting knife which inflicted the fatal wounds to the 16-year-old victim.
The trial continues.
Transgender IssuesBrianna Ghey[6][7]References
- ^ James Tozer (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Andy Russell (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Brianna Ghey (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ transgender (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Click here to listen to the Mail's new podcast The Trial (open.spotify.com)
- ^ Transgender Issues (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Brianna Ghey (www.dailymail.co.uk)