Warrington teenager Brianna Ghey suffered 'unsurvivable injuries' court hears

WARNING: Readers may find some details in this story distressing

Brianna Ghey was stabbed directly through the heart in a "sustained and violent" assault conflicted with "considerable force", a court has heard.

The 16-year-old died after suffering unsurvivable injuries from 28 stab wounds in Culcheth Linear Park near Warrington in February.

Two teenagers Girl X and Boy Y - who can not be named for legal reasons - are on trial for her murder at Manchester Crown Court, both deny the charges and blame each other.

Home Office Consultant Pathologist Dr Alison Armour told the trial the knife used to kill the teenager was “consistent” with the 12cm hunting knife found, with her blood still on it, in the bedroom of Boy Y.

She also spent two hours telling the jury the results of the post-mortem examination she carried out Brianna's body the day after her death.

Using computer generated images Dr Armour detailed the location of the injuries on Brianna's body, concluding the injuries were consistent with a “sustained and violent assault” with a bladed weapon.

She said of the 28 stab wounds, 14 were to the head and neck, and 14 to the chest, back and sides.

Brianna suffered defence injuries to her right arm and right thumb, including one wound entering the bicep and exiting the outside of the arm below the shoulder.

Five “significant” injuries were also detailed, which resulted in wounds and damage to the left and right lung, which were both punctured, the aorta and oesophagus.

One wound had also entered the front of the heart and exited the back.

Another significant injury was to the left side of her head, cutting the ear lobe and going in behind the angle of the jaw, causing damage to spinal vertebrae in the neck and damaging the throat.

To the right-hand side of the neck there was a series of six stab wounds, one which completely severed the jugular vein and carotid artery.

Dr Armour said this injury alone would have killed Brianna from a “catastrophic haemorrhage”.

She also found damage from the weapon to Brianna’s ribs, vertebrae and breast bone, implying the stab wounds were inflicted with “considerable” force.

Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, asked the pathologist about images she had seen of the hunting knife found in Y’s bedroom, which has a single sharp edge blade, 12cm in length.

Ms Heer asked: “Is that a candidate for causing some or all of these wounds?”

“Yes it is", Dr Armour said.

Dr Armour said she could not exclude the possibility another knife, of similar size, could have been used to inflict the wounds – but there was no positive evidence suggesting the use of a second knife.

And Dr Armour said from the pathology evidence it is not possible to say in which order the wounds were inflicted or whether Brianna was standing or sitting down when she was stabbed.

Both Girl X and Boy Y, aged 16, deny murder and are blaming each other for Brianna’s death.

The trial continues.