Brianna Ghey news - live: Scarlett Jenkinson’s family breaks silence as teen jailed with Eddie Ratcliffe
Two teenagers jailed for life for transphobic and sadistic killing of 16-year-old
The family of teenager killer Scarlett Jenkinson has broken their silence as they said they have been living out their “worst nightmares”.
Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe stabbed 16-year-old Brianna Ghey 28 times with a hunting knife in a horrific attack on 11 February last year after luring her to Linear Park near Warrington.
The judge at Manchester Crown Court said the “exceptionally brutal” murder had elements of sadism by Jenkinson and transphobic hate by Ratcliffe.
Saying their lives were “in turmoil”, Jenkinson’s family thanked Brianna‘s mother Esther Ghey for her “incredible selflessness and empathy towards our family”.
In a statement to the Warrington Guardian, Scarlett Jenkinson’s family said: “All of our thoughts are for Brianna and her family.
“The last 12 months have been beyond our worst nightmares as we have come to realise the brutal truth of Scarlett’s actions.”
The four-week trial heard the pair, who were 15, had a fascination with violence, torture and serial killers, with Jenkinson wanting to keep a part of Brianna’s flesh as a “token”.
Jenkinson was jailed for a minimum term of 22 years, and Ratcliffe 20.
Brianna's mother calls for daughter's killers to never be released
Brianna Ghey’s mother has said the thought of her daughter’s killers being released from prison “absolutely horrifies me”.
Referring to the convicted teenage murderers Scarlet Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, Esther Ghey told Manchester Crown Court: “I believe that both Scarlett and Eddie continue to be a danger to society. I never want them to have the opportunity to carry out their sadistic fantasies on another vulnerable person.
“The thought of them being released form prison absolutely horrifies me. I don’t believe anyone so disturbed, so obsessed with murder and torture, could ever be released from prison.”
Tara Cobham reports from Manchester Crown Court
Jenkinson had planned to take a ‘part of her flesh’ as a token, court hears
Deanna Heer KC said Jenkinson claimed Eddie Ratcliffe did not like Brianna because she is trans but her motivation was “quite different.”
Ms Heer continued: “Her motivation for doing so was anticipating Brianna was going to leave her and wanted to kill her so she would always be with her.”
Jenkinson said she also intended to take a part of Brianna’s body, “as a token, part of her flesh”.
She also admitted an earlier incident when Brianna became ill came about in an attempt by her to poison her victim with pills.
Ms Heer said, in a further account of events to a probation officer, Jenkinson had said she and Ratcliffe deliberately lured Brianna to the park.
Ms Heer continued: “On this occasion she said it was she who first inflicted stab wounds then passed it to Eddie who forced the victim to the floor, stabbing her about three times, at that point she took the knife and delivered the majority of stab wounds.”
Esther Ghey brands daughter's killers 'cowardly' as they 'show no remorse'
Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, has branded her daughter’s killer “cowardly” as they showed “no remorse” throughout the harrowing four-week murder trial.
Referring to Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, today unmasked publicly for the first time by a judge, Ms Ghey said: “The two people responsible for her death cowardly pointed the finger at each other, showing no remorse.”
Ms Ghey said there had been moments when she felt sorry for the pair, “because they’ve ruined their own lives”. But she said then she thinks of Brianna and her sympathy evaporates.
“I have to remember that they felt no empathy for Brianna when they left her bleeding to death after their premeditated and vicious attack, which was carried out not because Brianna had done anything wrong, but just because one hated trans people and the other thought it would be fun.”
Killers acted as ‘two predators stalking their prey’
In a statement read to the court, Brianna’s stepfather Wesley Powell said: “Brianna had a large online following but in reality she was lonely, vulnerable and in need of a close friend.
“Both Eddie and Scarlett knew this and preyed upon her vulnerabilities, acting as two predators stalking their prey.”
After the victim personal statements were read to the court, Mrs Justice Yip said: “They were very moving statements. I can feel the emotion in the courtroom.”
Why teenagers who killed schoolgirl can be named
The girl and boy who murdered teenager Brianna Ghey have been named as Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe for the first time.
The defendants, both 16, were only identified only as girl X and boy Y during their four-week trial last December at Manchester Crown Court.
A ban on naming or picturing her killers had been in place since they first appeared in court but that has now been lifted.
Below we looked at how their unmasking came about.
Read the full article from my colleague Barney Davis here
Why teenagers who killed schoolgirl Brianna Ghey can be named
Girl X and boy Y - Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe - have been named for the first time ahead of their sentencing
Police release bodycamera footage of twisted duo being arrested
'I'll never get my sister back and I must carry that pain for the rest of my life'
Brianna Ghey’s older sister has told of the pain caused by losing her younger sibling to murder.
“The night we were told that we’d lost Brianna has overpowered the memories I had of her,” Alisha says in her statement.
“Brianna was always at home and I didn’t know that she’d left that day - I find being in my own home uncomfortable and lonely.”
Her statement continues: “I now feel anxious, and struggle to trust new people that I meet because it was Brianna’s friend who she trusted who ended her life.
“No-one can ever make me feel better. The only thing that would is hearing her voice and laughter, and I must carry that pain for the rest of my life.”
Transphobia partly motivated Brianna's murderers, hears court
Brianna Ghey’s murderers were “at least in part motivated by Brianna’s transgender identity”, a court has heard.
Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, told Manchester Crown Court: “The murder of Brianna was motivated in part by Brianna’s transgender identity.
“In Eddie’s, case there was evidence that he spoke about Brianna in disparaging terms with respect to her transgender identity - and therefore that he was motivated to kill her by his transphobic attitude.
“In Scarlett’s case, though she did not use language to that extent, it can be said that she encouraged Eddie to kill Brianna knowing that his transphobic attitude would make it more likely that he would kill Brianna.”
However, she did add: “The court will obviously want to give due consideration to the defendants’ age and immaturity. And on their so-called ‘kill list’ there were other children who were not transgender.”
Judge Mrs Justice Yip agreed with the prosecution that “there is evidence of transphobic comments”.
Watch: Jenkinson asks police why she is a suspect during arrest
Girl admits to trying and failing to kill Brianna with ibuprofen overdose, court told
Scarlett Jenkinson has admitted to trying and failing to kill Brianna Ghey with an ibuprofen overdose in the weeks before she and Eddie Ratcliffe did murder the transgender 16-year-old.
During the sentencing hearing for the two child killers, Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, told Manchester Crown Court: “Scarlett now admits to giving Brianna an overdose of ibuprofen.”