Teenager denies murdering 16-year-old Brianna Ghey in Warrington

A teenager has denied murdering a transgender 16-year-old who was found stabbed to death in a park.

Brianna Ghey, from Birchwood in Warrington, was found on a path in Culcheth Linear Park at shortly after 3pm on Saturday 11 February.

Two 16-year-olds, a boy and a girl, who cannot be named, were charged with her murder.

At a case management hearing at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester on Thursday 20 July one of the defendants entered a not guilty plea.

The other defendant did not enter a plea. Reporting restrictions prevent the identification of which of the defendants entered the plea.

Parents of both teenagers, who appeared separately in the dock, were in court for the hearing.

Mrs Justice Yip told the court: “It’s a case in which I know emotions are likely to run high, that’s very understandable. There has been a lot of publicity about it already.

“We’re going to make sure that this case proceeds in a calm manner in court in a way that is going to be entirely fair to everybody.”

A trial has been set for 27 November and is expected to last three weeks.

The girl, from Warrington, and the boy, from Leigh, are both currently held in secure accommodation.