Content Warning: This article contains details of violence, transphobia and mental illness.
Khushboo Malhotra
On 11th February 2023, a 16-year-old British transgender girl, Brianna Ghey, was murdered in Culcheth Linear Park.
Ghey was lured to her death in a “sustained and violent assault” at the hands of Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, both 15 at the time.
They inflicted 28 fatal wounds, 14 to the head and neck, and 14 to the chest, back and sides.
Within 24 hours, Cheshire police arrested both Jenkinson and Ratcliffe at their residences.In December 2023, both assailants were found guilty of Ghey’s murder after a three-week-long trial.
Jenkinson received a 22-year sentence, while Ratcliffe was sentenced to 20 years before becoming eligible for parole.
Ghey endured years of transphobic harassment and bullying, compounded by diagnoses of ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder during her teen years, which her mother believes compromised her ability to recognise danger.
Her family remembers her as “beautiful, witty, and fearless,” with a “larger-than-life character.”
Timeline of Events
11th February 2023
- Morning hours: Brianna Ghey received a message from Jenkinson, instructing her to meet at Culcheth Library.
- 12:45 pm: Surveillance footage captured her leaving her house in Birchwood.
- 1:38 pm: She boarded a bus at Birchwood railway station after walking approximately 25 minutes from her residence.
- 1:53 pm: She met Jenkinson and Ratcliffe at the bus stop outside Culcheth Library.
- 2:02 pm: Last seen on CCTV footage heading towards the park with Jenkinson and Ratcliffe.
- 2:15 pm: Ghey sent a message to a friend about Jenkinson expressing her anxiousness and suspicion.
- 2:30 pm: She was attacked with a hunting knife in Culcheth Linear Park.
- 3:13 pm: Dog walkers discovered her body, face-down and bleeding heavily, and immediately contacted emergency services.
- 4:02 pm: Paramedics pronounced Ghey dead at the scene.
12th February
- Within 24 hours of the incident, Police identified and arrested two suspects, Eddie Ratcliffe and Scarlett Jenkinson. Police announced an investigation into all lines of inquiry, including whether the attack on Ghey constituted a hate crime.
15th February
- Jenkinson and Ratcliffe were charged with murder, refused bail, and placed in youth detention, remanded by Judge David Aubrey until a pre-trial preparation hearing on 2nd May.
- Thousands of people attended candlelit vigils across the UK and in Dublin in memory of Brianna.
- A TikTok memorial account and GoFundMe page were set up to support her family, raising over £114,000.
https://www.tiktok.com/@gingerpuppyxarchive/video/7199684837840751878
8th March
- An inquest into Ghey’s death was opened at Warrington Coroner’s Court and subsequently adjourned until after the trial.
15th March
- Brianna’s funeral, held at St Elphin’s Church, Warrington, was attended by hundreds of mourners and local dignitaries.
20th July
- In a pre-trial hearing, one of the two suspects pleaded not guilty.
7th September
- Brianna’s mother, Esther Ghey, launched a local campaign in Warrington to deliver mindfulness training in schools in the area, raising over £81,000, as part of “a lasting legacy” to her daughter.
4th October
- The second suspect pleaded not guilty during the next pre-trial hearing.
Judicial Findings
27th November
- The trial began on 27th November at Manchester Crown Court.
- Reporting restrictions were imposed, referring to Jenkinson as Girl X and Ratcliffe as Boy Y by Justice Amanda Yip.
- The jury was briefed on Ghey’s transgender identity and the defendants’ conditions.
- While in custody, Jenkinson was found to have traits of autism and ADHD; Ratcliffe was diagnosed as autistic after his arrest and having selective mutism.
- The prosecution presented evidence, including text messages showing Jenkinson’s failed attempt to poison Ghey with ibuprofen.
- Additionally, the defendants conspired to murder Ghey using a hunting knife obtained by Ratcliffe, with further messages on their phones revealing a fascination with violence, torture and plans to harm other children.
- Defence cases argued that each defendant was only an accessory to the act.
- While Ratcliffe’s defence accused Jenkinson of manipulation due to his autism, Jenkinson’s defence portrayed the murder as a “fantasy” plan carried out by Ratcliffe, claiming she was shocked and afraid of him during the attack.
Final Verdict and Sentencing
20th December
- Following a three-week trial, both defendants were found guilty of Ghey’s murder, with Justice Yip indicating life sentences.
21st December
- The judge ruled that the anonymity orders protecting the identities of the convicted murderers would be lifted during the sentencing hearing in 2024, citing “a strong public interest in the full and unrestricted reporting of what is [plainly] an exceptional case.”
2nd February 2024
- The sentencing hearing took place at Manchester Crown Court, where the judge emphasised the necessity of unrestricted reporting, marking the first public disclosure of the teenagers’ identities.
- During the hearing, Ghey’s family presented victim impact statements.
- Psychiatrists provided updated assessments: Jenkinson was diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder instead of autism, and Ratcliffe with a mild form of “autistic spectrum personality disorder.”
- Jenkinson admitted to personally stabbing Brianna, despite initially denying the attack during the trial.
- Jenkinson and Ratcliffe were sentenced to life with a minimum of 22 and 20 years respectively, before being eligible for parole.
- Despite the gravity of the sentencing, both displayed a lack of remorse during the court proceedings.
Justice Yip described the murder as “sadistic in nature,” highlighting a secondary motive of hostility towards Ghey’s transgender identity in Ratcliffe’s case.
Yip said: “Scarlett, I have concluded that the primary motivation for Brianna’s murder was your deep desire to kill. Brianna’s murder was exceptionally brutal. Your actions after the event confirm you enjoyed the killing.
“This was a murder involving sadistic conduct.
“Eddie, you knew what Scarlett wanted to do and why. You understood her desire to see Brianna suffer. You actively participated in this brutal murder knowing the desires behind it.
“I also find you were motivated in part by hostility towards Brianna because she was transgender. Just as you know of Scarlett’s motives, she knew of yours.
“I therefore find you both took part in a brutal and planned murder, which was sadistic in nature and where a secondary motive was hostility towards Brianna because of her transgender identity.”
Impact and Reaction
Discussing Jenkinson’s post-verdict admission, Justice Yip noted that it seemed Jenkinson had a desire to depict herself negatively, possibly influenced by her fascination with notorious criminals, including Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy.
Emma Mills, Headteacher of Birchwood Community High School attended by Ghey and Jenkinson, conveyed deep shock and sorrow at the news of Brianna Ghey’s death.
“We are shocked and truly devastated to hear of the death of Brianna. This is understandably a very difficult and distressing time for many and we will do our utmost to support our pupils and wider school community.”
Reflecting on the decision to admit Jenkinson through a “managed transfer,” Mills told Sky News there were “no red flags.”
Mills said she had been told that Jenkinson had been caught with cannabis edibles at her former school.
“We were told it was a one-off incident, where she knew she’d made a mistake,” Mills told the BBC.
Following the killers’ conviction, Brianna’s mother, Esther Ghey, called for “empathy and compassion” for their families as “they too have lost a child” and “must live the rest of their lives knowing what their child has done.”
READ NEXT
-
HOW TRANSPHOBIA TOOK OVER LEGACY MEDIA
-
NEW ANTI-TRANS GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE PUTS YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK
-
CONVERSION THERAPY BAN DELAY IS A ‘MORAL FAILING’ SAYS ACTIVISTS
Featured image courtesy of OwenBlacker via Wikimedia Commons. No changes made to this image. Image license found here.
Khushboo Malhotra
Khushboo is a Twitter Editor at Empoword Journalism. She is an Award-nominated lifestyle and pop culture journalist, writer, and budding entrepreneur aiming to break down the boundaries of cultural stigma and shame attached to mental health and sexual health and bring marginalised topics to light. Send your stories, tips, and press announcements to khushboomalhotrafreelance@gmail.com