Brianna Ghey murder trial: Key moments from week one

The 16-year-old Birchwood schoolgirl was found dead by dog walkers in Culcheth Linear Park on February 11, having been stabbed 28 times with a hunting knife in her head, chest, back and neck.

Two 16-year-olds, a girl from Warrington referred to in coverage as X and a boy from Leigh referred to as Y, deny her murder.

The pair are on trial at Manchester Crown Square Crown Court, with five days now passing since the trial started on Monday.

In case you missed anything, here is what happened on each day of the trial.

Monday >

TWO teenagers pre-occupied with violence, torture and death stabbed to death transgender teenager Brianna Ghey, a court heard.

At the start of their trial on Monday, the jury were told they had made plans to kill other children before killing Brianna.

Girl X also liked to watch “dark web” torture videos and had become “obsessed” with Brianna, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Deanna Heer said Brianna’s body was discovered by dog walkers at about 3pm on February 11 in the park.

They also saw a male and female breaking into a run as they approached the body of a young woman lying face down in the mud.

Ms Heer said there was no dispute that the male and female seen running away from Brianna’s body were the two defendants.

She added: “Nor is there any dispute that in the days and weeks leading up to that day they had discussed killing her.

The jury was told each defendant denied murder and denied participating in killing Brianna. Ms Heer said: “Each blames the other.

“The prosecution case is that whoever it was who delivered the fatal blow or blows, both defendants are equally guilty. Acting together, they planned and executed their plan to kill Brianna Ghey.”

Messages recovered from the phones of girl X and boy Y showed a “preoccupation” with “violence, torture and death” and recorded them discussing how they wanted to kill people they knew.

The court was told that in December last year girl X messaged boy Y telling him she was “obsessed over someone” called Brianna but did not have feelings for them.

They discussed meeting Brianna and killing her at the park, the trial heard, and in one message, girl X said: “I want to stab her at least once even if she’s dead jus coz its fun lol.”

Ms Heer said girl X and boy Y did meet each other in Culcheth on January 28, but girl X told him Brianna said she could not come.

Tuesday >

A HANDWRITTEN plan to kill Brianna was found in the bedroom of X, a court has heard.

Ms Heer told the jury that eight days before Brianna was killed, girl X sent boy Y a picture of a handwritten note headed: “Saturday 11th February 2023. Victim: Brianna Ghey.”

Brianna was found dead in Culcheth Linear Park (Image: Cheshire Police)

On February 11, Brianna left her Birchwood home and boarded a bus to Culcheth, sending her mother a text message at 1.41pm which said: “I’m on the bus by myself, I’m scared.”

The three met just before 2pm and walked to the park.

Brianna was pronounced dead at 4.02pm and a post-mortem examination found her cause of death was multiple stab wounds.

Ms Heer told the court bottles of soft drinks were found at the scene with DNA from girl X and boy Y on, indicating they had been present.

She said the defendants kept each other informed of press reports about the incident in Linear Park while also “feigning ignorance” about what had happened.

Boy Y was also searching online for ways to combat anxiety, the court heard.

Girl X lied to her mother, the trial heard, and as a result, her mother called police at about 5pm the day after the murder to report her daughter had been with Brianna before the incident.

The jury was told girl X later messaged boy Y, repeating the story she had told police and telling him: “Make sure story adds up.”

She then posted a tribute to Brianna on Snapchat stating that it was “sickening” what had happened.

Wednesday >

THE trial heard that X ‘previously tried to kill Brianna with an overdose’

The court heard that X says that “ppl already know she is depressed so nobody would get sus … I gave her some today that should have been enough to kill her … but she didn’t die”.

The two then discuss giving Brianna ibuprofen gel in a McDonald’s milkshake and Y says the pills X gave Brianna “might be slowly killing her”, the jury heard.

Jurors also heard a statement from Brianna’s mother, Esther Ghey, who said: “I recall an incident when Brianna was really sick.

Ms Ghey said she ran upstairs to find her daughter “rolling around in agony, screaming in pain saying, ‘I think I’m going to die’.

“She was clearly in distress. I wondered if it could be an appendicitis. Brianna kept saying, ‘Don’t leave me! Don’t leave me,” the statement continued.

Brianna was then sick and recovered.

The jury also heard messages exchanged between girl X and boy Y in the run up to the stabbing, in which they discussed killing Brianna.

In messages sent on the evening of February 10, girl X asked boy Y which knife he would bring when they met Brianna, the jury was told.

The court heard that the girl asked if it would “definitely 100% kill her” and boy Y replied: “Yes.”

The trial also heard girl X said in a message: “I don’t want to wait, I just want her to die. I want to see pure horror on her face and hear her scream in pain.”

In another message, jurors were told, girl X said: “ I really want one of its eyes. They have pretty eyes.”

Footage was released of Brianna boarding the bus to Culcheth on the day of her death (Image: Cheshire Police)

In earlier messages, on January 23, girl X told boy Y she knew a lot about US serial killer Richard Ramirez, known as The Night Stalker, adding: “I could talk about him for like two hours, including quotes and dates of stuff,” it was said.

Thursday >

A DISTRESSING 999 call made by a dog walker who found Brianna’s body was played to the jury.

She said: “She’s halfway down some stairs. She’s bleeding heavily. She’s blood on her legs and on her back. She’s really hurt.

“We thought it was a dummy at first. I don’t want to touch her either. I don’t know if she’s alive. She did twitch before. It’s an absolute mess.”

She later said: “I don’t think there’s anything you can do for her. Oh God.”

The jury was then shown a police video interview with her, filmed the day after Brianna’s death.

She said she and her husband had been with their two dogs in Culcheth Linear Park when she saw a male and a female.

She said: “When I first saw them I thought they were walking towards me but when I looked up he was stooping and I thought he’s putting a dog on the lead.”

She said she later realised he had been standing “over the body” before they “lolloped” off into a field.

Friday >

THE trial heard X asked a police officer as she was arrested: “Is it because I was the last person to see her alive?”

In the call to police by X’s mother, at about 5pm on the day after Brianna’s death, the teenager told police she and Y had been with Brianna in the park, but Briana had then gone off with a Manchester boy, 17, who owned a car.

Two-and-a-half hours later, both defendants were arrested at their homes by Cheshire Police.

Jurors were shown the body-worn camera footage taken when officers, wearing balaclavas and body armour, detained the suspects.

Jurors were then shown footage of the simultaneous arrest of Y.

Y tells them: “I can explain,” as he is told he is being arrested for murder and taken in for questioning.

Jurors were also told that both X and Y searched for news reports on the Warrington Guardian after Brianna’s death.

X also posted a tribute to her on her Snapchat account and said she was “sickened” by what happened to her.

The trial continues. Both deny murder.

Cheshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service remind everyone that criminal proceedings against both defendants are active, and that they have the right to a fair trial.

It is extremely important that there should be no commenting or sharing of information or speculation which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.

Due to their age, reporting restrictions are in place for both defendants, entitling them to anonymity, as well as other children involved in the evidence.