Brianna Ghey: Teenage killers turned 'dark fantasies about murder into reality'

Two schoolchildren who murdered teenager Brianna Ghey had a "deadly influence on each other" turning "dark fantasies about murder into reality".

The killers, known only as Girl X and Boy Y, were unanimously convicted of murdering Brianna, 16, after stabbing her 28 times with a hunting knife in a "frenzied and ferocious attack" in Culceth Linear Park, near Warrington.

The pair, who were 15 at the time, denied the attack and blamed each other.

But they were found guilty by a jury after a three week trial at Manchester Crown Court.

Speaking about the case, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Ursula Doyle, said it was "one of the most disturbing cases" she had ever worked on.

"The planning, the violence and the age of the killers is beyond belief," she added.

“Brianna Ghey was subjected to a frenzied and ferocious attack and was stabbed 28 times in broad daylight in a public park.

“Girl X and Boy Y appear to have been a deadly influence on each other and turned what may have started out as dark fantasies about murder into reality."

The court heard messages exchanged between Girl X and Boy Y in the days before Brianna's death discussed killing the schoolgirl.

In messages recovered from their phones, the pair encouraged one another to think about how they would carry out the plan to kill.

The conversations included calling Brianna 'it', as well as Girl X saying she wanted to "hear her scream in pain".

In one message Girl X said: “I don’t want to wait, I just want her to die. I want to see pure horror on her face and hear her scream in pain.”

Boy Y replied: “Really? All I wanted to see is what size d*** it had.”

Girl X said: “ I really want one of its eyes. They have pretty eyes.”

Ms Doyle continued: “The pages and pages of WhatsApp messages between the two, planning and plotting to kill people, talking of murder, torture and cruelty were very difficult to read.

“The messages provided a terrifying insight into the warped fantasies of the two defendants.

"However the also provided us with the detailed planning of the attack and then the attempts to cover it up."