Teenagers convicted of Brianna Ghey's murder

Two teenagers who hada thirst for killing’ convicted for Brianna Ghey murder

- Helen Pidd

The mother of the teenager Brianna Ghey said her daughter’s killers had not shown “an ounce of remorse” after they were found guilty yesterday of her murder.

But she urged “some empathy and compassion” for the 16-yearolds’ parents, who wept in court as the unanimous verdicts were delivered after four hours and 40 minutes of deliberation.

The teenagers were 15 when they carried out the “senseless” murder in broad daylight in a Warrington Park, stabbing Brianna 28 times on 11 February this year.

Boy Y, who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and selective mutism since his arrest, and girl X, who has traits of autism and ADHD, were both in the dock as the verdicts were delivered. Neither reacted to the  verdicts nor when the judge, Mrs Justice Yip, told them to expect life sentences when they return to Manchester crown court in the new year.

The girl, who was fascinated by serial killers and boasted of watching torture videos on the dark web, said she was “obsessed” with Brianna, who was transgender. She and Brianna had been friends for a few months before she and Y began plotting to kill her.

Vigils were held for Brianna, 16, after her murder, prompting particular sorrow and fear among trans people, though Cheshire police said from the start they did not believe she was killed for being trans.

Nigel Parr, a senior investigating officer from Cheshire police, said Brianna had been “betrayed” by two teenagers whose “only motivation was to experience how it felt” to kill. Intelligent, “high functioning” and from normal backgrounds, the pair had a fascination for violence and a “thirst for killing”, the jury had heard. Neither had been in trouble with the police.