Teenage girl accused of killing Brianna Ghey in Warrington had 'dark fantasies' about murder

A teen accused of murdering the teenager Brianna Ghey in a park has told a court she enjoyed "dark fantasies" about killing and torturing people.

Brianna, from Birchwood, Warrington, was stabbed 28 times with a hunting knife in Culcheth Linear Park on 11 February.

A girl and a boy, both now aged 16, identified only as X and Y, are on trial for the murder at Manchester Crown Court. Neither defendant can be named because of their ages.

On the tenth day of the trial Girl X told jurors she fantasised about killing Brianna, 16, but had "no intention" of bringing it to reality, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Girl X gave evidence from the witness box, screened from the view of the public gallery by a curtain and accompanied by an intermediary to assist her welfare.

She said she began to fantasise about killing people aged 14, around the time she began to take an interest in "dark materials" such as films of murder and torture and serial killers.

The teenager said she had downloaded an app that allowed her to search for such things on the "Dark Web".

Richard Pratt KC, defending Girl X, said: "Did watching films about murder and torture make you want to torture or kill people?"

Girl X replied: "No. I found the whole idea of it interesting. Different personalities of serial killers and different ways they would carry things out."

She said boy Y also had "similar interests" to her.

Girl X continued: "I would share the dark fantasies that I have. Things to do with murdering people and torturing people. He would go along with it.

"He seemed to like that sort of stuff."

She denied being "obsessed" with Brianna, but said she found her "different" and "interesting".

And she said in Snapchat messages between her and boy Y, he had referred to Brianna as an "it" because, she said, "he doesn't agree with people who were trans or gay".

Mr Pratt said: "Did you have any anti-transgender views?"

Girl X replied, "No."

Girl X denied trying to give Brianna an overdose to kill her a few weeks before she was stabbed, after telling boy Y she had given Brianna Ibuprofen pills but that she had a high tolerance and had not died.

She said: "I was making a fantasy about killing Brianna even though I had no intention."

Mr Pratt also asked Girl X about five other children on her and boy Y's alleged "Kill list".

Again she said these were all just fantasies and she had no intention of carrying them out.

Telling Boy Y she wanted to keep the teeth or eye of one purported victim was again part of the fantasy and something some serial killers had done.

Girl X said at times she would self-harm as a "coping" mechanism, and the court has heard she has "traits" of autism and ADHD.

She also said she had, at times, felt suicidal and was taking medication.

Earlier, jurors were shown a hand-written note detailing a plan to kill 16-year-old Brianna Ghey which was found on the bedroom floor of Girl X after her arrest.

Notes were also made on serial killers including Jeffrey Dahmer, Richard Ramirez and Harold Shipman in a black Pukka notebook.

Jurors have heard X and Y had a fixation with torture, violence and death, with girl X describing herself as a "satanist".

Both have pleaded not guilty and blame each other for the killing, the jury has heard.

The trial continues.