Brianna Ghey died after she was found with stab wounds in a park
By Emma Stanley & PA Media
BBC News
A plan to kill Brianna Ghey was found in the bedroom of one of the 16-year-olds accused of her murder, a court has heard.
The body of Brianna, 16, who was transgender, was discovered by dog walkers in a park in Culcheth, Cheshire, on 11 February.
The court heard the girl sent the other teenager charged a picture of a handwritten note headed: “Saturday 11th February 2023. Victim: Brianna Ghey.”
The two teenagers both deny murder.
The trial at Manchester Crown Court has previously heard they had “a preoccupation with torture”.
The pair, who were 15 at the time, cannot be named because of their age and are identified only as girl X, from Warrington, and boy Y, from Leigh, Greater Manchester.
Warning: Some readers might find the following report distressing
The paper, found in girl X’s bedroom after her arrest, said: “Meet boy Y at wooden posts 1pm. Walk down to library … bus stop.
“Wait until Brianna gets off bus then the 3 of us walk to linear park. Go to the pipe/tunnel area.
“I say code word to boy Y. He stabs her in the back as I stab her in the stomach. Boy Y drags the body into the area. We both cover up the area with logs etc.”
Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, said: “It is clearly, the prosecution say, a plan to kill Brianna Ghey.”
Image source, Family handout
Brianna left her house and boarded a bus to the park, the trial has heard
On 10 February, girl X arranged to meet Brianna and later told boy Y she was “excited” for 11 February after they discussed which knife he would bring.
The jury heard girl X and boy Y met shortly before 13:00 GMT that day.
Brianna boarded a bus to Culcheth, sending her mother a text at 13:41 which said: “I’m on the bus by myself, I’m scared” and all three met just before 14:00 and walked to the park.
Ms Heer said there were some Snapchat messages between Brianna and girl X in the park.
At 15:06 a message from Brianna’s phone was sent to girl X, saying: “Girl where are you?”
Ms Heer said girl X deleted a chat from her Snapchat account seconds later and it was at about then the killing must have occurred.
A 999 call made at 15:13 reported an attack and the attackers fleeing.
Brianna was pronounced dead at 16:02 and a post-mortem examination found her cause of death was stab wounds.
Ms Heer said the “number of wounds and the pattern of injuries” suggested Brianna was “subjected to a sustained and violent assault with a knife.”
Soft drinks bottles found at the scene had the defendants’ DNA.
They left the park and were spotted on dashcam footage walking together on Wigshaw Lane at 15:15.
Image source, PA Media
Brianna Ghey’s body was discovered in Culcheth Linear Park by dog walkers
Brianna’s mobile phone was found hidden in a drain by police.
The court heard they kept each other informed of press reports about the incident in Linear Park while “feigning ignorance” about what had happened.
Boy Y searched online for ways to combat anxiety.
The two defendants exchanged messages shortly after 23:00 in which girl X asked boy Y: “Do you have anxiety about getting caught?”
When he replied “probably”, she responded: “You’re not going to get caught don’t worry.”
The following day, girl X messaged Brianna saying: “Girl, is everything okay? Some teenage girl got killed in Linear Park its on news everywhere.
“And why did you ditch us for some random man from Manchester. Like wtf.”
Ms Heer said that was an “obvious attempt” to set up a sort of false defence.
Girl X also posted a tribute to Brianna on Snapchat, describing her as an “amazing friend” and it was “sickening” what happened.
Both defendants were arrested at their homes on 12 February.
Image source, PA Media
Brianna’s mobile phone was found hidden in a drain, the jury was told
When police searched girl X’s bedroom, they found a number of handwritten notes, including the plan to kill Brianna and another plan to kill which said: “Give them alcohol with sleeping pills, slit throat, dismember body, place pieces in bin bags.”
There were also notes about serial killers including Jeffrey Dahmer, Richard Ramirez and Harold Shipman, the court heard.
Police found trainers and a black jacket with bloodstains which matched Brianna’s DNA in boy Y’s bedroom.
Ms Heer said a knife with blood matching Brianna’s DNA was also found.
Girl X told police she went to Linear Park with Brianna but she left to go and meet a 17-year-old boy from Manchester.
Ms Heer said boy Y told police that girl X had stabbed Brianna.
She added: “While each now blames the other, they are both guilty.”
Jurors were also shown more messages sent between the defendants
Detailing digital evidence recovered from their phones, Detective Constable Chris Orme, of Cheshire Police, said a browser application giving access to areas of the internet known as the Dark Web was installed on X’s phone in September 2022.
A video from X’s WhatsApp account showed someone handling a large, silver Chef Aid-branded kitchen knife.
The court heard other messages included discussions about killing another child, the girl saying she has a knife like “the one that Sweeney Todd uses”, and talking about “torture before killing”.
X sent Y a video, an advert for an “underground” site for people who like “rape, snuff, torture and murder”, with X saying: “I love watching torture vids”.
The internet browsing history on Y’s phone revealed searches on various poisons, including VX nerve agents, sarin and tabun.
On New Year’s Day this year, Y sent X an image of the alleged murder weapon – a wooden handled hunting knife he bought for £13.50.
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