‘Frenzied’ stabbing was girl’s ‘dark fantasies’ turned reality, court told
Transgender teenager Brianna Ghey was stabbed 28 times with a hunting knife in an attack in a park near Warrington earlier this year.
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A girl denied turning “dark fantasies” of torture and killing into reality with the “frenzied” stabbing of transgender teen Brianna Ghey, a court has heard.
The 16-year-old, identified only as girl X, said she was attracted to Brianna and also fantasised about killing her but had no intention of carrying it out, a jury at Manchester Crown Court heard.
She denied having to wipe Brianna’s blood from her face after the killing.
Brianna, 16, was stabbed with a hunting knife 28 times in her head, neck, chest and back in Linear Park in Culcheth, near Warrington, on the afternoon of February 11 earlier this year.
Prosecutors allege the anxious, transgender teenager was deliberately lured there for a killing planned by girl X and her co-accused, identified only as boy Y.
Both girl X and boy Y, both aged 15 at the time – now both 16, deny murder and are blaming each other for Brianna’s death. Neither can be named due to their age.
Jurors have heard girl X enjoyed watching internet torture and killing material from the “dark web” and had an interest in serial killers, with both teenagers fixated with torture, violence and death, it is alleged.
In the witness box for a second day, Richard Littler KC, defending boy Y, asked girl X: “Why would you have a fantasy about murdering your good friend?”
She replied: “I’m not sure. I don’t know where it comes from.”
Mr Littler continued: “I’m going to suggest, this was not fantasy anymore, this was something you could do. You could stab Brianna?”
“No,” she replied.
Girl X told the court the three teenagers had planned to “hang out” in the park and while there she pretended to Brianna to be in contact via Snapchat with a drug dealer to deliver some drugs to them, but he was delayed.
Mr Littler suggested this was to keep Brianna in the park, adding: “Might it be you were just trying to get ready to stab her, trying to find the courage to do it?”
“No,” girl X replied.
Boy Y told police he went to relieve himself behind a tree and when he came back he saw girl X stabbing Brianna.
I’m going to suggest to you that you (girl X) pretended to be friends with Brianna. But you were not really her friend at all
Girl X told the court that while Brianna was sat on a bench, she walked away to stretch her legs, heard a scream, and when she turned around she saw boy Y stabbing Brianna.
Mr Littler said: “You are basically saying the same as him now.”
Girl X has denied trying to control or manipulate boy Y.
Jurors heard about a notebook found at girl X’s house in which she described boy Y as “very, very smart, genius level” but also a “sociopath”, lacking emotion and socially awkward, who only had three followers on Instagram.
Mr Littler continued: “I’m going to suggest to you that you pretended to be friends with Brianna. But you were not really her friend at all.
“I’m going to suggest you pretended to be friends with boy Y, but you were not a good friend at all?”
“No,” replied girl X.
“I’m going to suggest you stabbed Brianna?” Mr Littler said.
“No,” girl X replied.
“Do you remember, when you were walking away from the scene with boy Y, you were wiping blood from your face. Brianna’s blood, using your saliva?” Mr Littler asked.
“No,” girl X replied again.
Earlier, jurors were shown a crumpled, handwritten note of an alleged “murder plan” to kill Brianna found on the bedroom floor of Girl X after her arrest.
I just randomly get thoughts, even if there was no intent. I don't know where it comes from or why I get them. It's normally with people that I don't like but not always, sometimes it can be with people that I do actually like and I'll still fantasise about it
Notes were also made on serial killers including Jeffrey Dahmer, Richard Ramirez and Harold Shipman in a black notebook.
Being cross-examined by Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, girl X was asked what she enjoyed about the idea of killing.
She said: “I’m not exactly sure, I just found the overall thing quite interesting I guess.”
Ms Heer said: “Did you like the idea of having power over somebody?”
Girl X said: “Yes.”
Ms Heer said: “Did you like the idea of being able to cause them pain and suffering?”
Girl X replied: “Yes.”
She said she found Brianna “really interesting” and “quite attractive” and agreed she enjoyed the idea of killing her.
Asked why, she said: “I just randomly get thoughts, even if there was no intent. I don’t know where it comes from or why I get them.”
She added: “It’s normally with people that I don’t like but not always, sometimes it can be with people that I do actually like and I’ll still fantasise about it.”
Ms Heer asked: “Did you find the idea of killing Brianna, who you were attracted to, exciting?”
Girl X said: “I guess so, yes.”
Ms Heer asked: “Did you think she was prettier than you?”
Girl X said: “In a way, yes, I did.”
Ms Heer asked if she thought boy Y would also enjoy the idea of killing Brianna because he did not like transgender people.
Girl X replied: “Possibly, yes.”
Is the truth that by this time, conversations were no longer fantasy, they were actually talking about how to plan a killing in real life?
She was asked about messages in which she and boy Y discussed killing Brianna by giving her cleaning products to drink.
Ms Heer asked: “Did you think that would be a horrible death?”
Girl X said: “Possibly, yes.”
Ms Heer said: “Did you enjoy the idea of that?”
Girl X said: “I think I did, yeah.”
Ms Heer continued: “You found serial killers interesting. Would you look at facts about serial killers because you were trying to work out how they went about killing people?”
Girl X replied: “That is part of the interest.”
Ms Heer said: “What did you think of that idea, of distracting somebody and then stabbing them in the neck? Is that what you and boy Y eventually do to Brianna? Did you distract her and did boy Y stab her in the neck?”
“No,” replied girl X.
Did you (girl X) want boy Y to kill Brianna while you watched? Did you want him to overpower Brianna? Did you want him to kill her?
Ms Heer said: “Is the truth that by this time, conversations were no longer fantasy, they were actually talking about how to plan a killing in real life?”
“No,” girl X said.
Ms Heer compared the similarities to Brianna’s stabbing and the “fantasy” plans about killing her, and other children, discussed between X and Y in phone messages; the luring of a victim to a “hidden spot”, the distraction, the method of stabbing and the injuries inflicted.
Ms Heer continued: “All the things you need to think about if you are planning a real killing?”
“Yes,” girl X replied.
Ms Heer said: “Did you want boy Y to kill Brianna while you watched? Did you want him to overpower Brianna? Did you want him to kill her?”
Girl X replied: “No.”
She denied taking a knife herself to meet Brianna.
Ms Heer said: “Is that because you wanted boy Y to stab Brianna and you wanted to watch so you could see the pure horror on her face?”
“No,” replied girl X.
The jury heard girl X had saved boy Y’s phone number in her phone under the name “Tesco John Wick” and that John Wick was a character from a film about a hitman played by Keanu Reeves.
Ms Heer said: “Did you think of boy Y as your assassin?”
“No,” replied girl X.
She admitted getting Brianna to come to the park by lying that they would be taking drugs and getting high.
Ms Heer continued: “Do you think if you had not lied, Brianna, she would still be alive today?”
“Yes,” girl X replied.
The trial continues.