'Sleep tight our pink angel': Friends of Brianna Ghey pen emotional poem in memory of 'sassy' teen

Brianna's friend Emily Holden pays tribute to her friend with a poem

A friend of Brianna Ghey has remembered her as an "angel" who "glowed like fire" in a touching poem written in her memory.

Brianna, 16, was stabbed 28 times with a hunting knife in her head, chest, back and neck while in Culcheth Linear Park, in Warrington, on 11 February 2023.

Two teenagers who were found guilty of her murder have now been named as Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe.

In the poem, Brianna's friend Emily Holden picks out her sense of style and sense of humour as traits she will always remember her by.

She writes: "I miss your beautiful smile, your sense of humour, and the way you would laugh and joke.

"I miss your gorgeous sense of style and the witty words you spoke.

"You were never afraid to be yourself, and that we all admire. Your feistiness and sassy personality always glowed like fire."

Emily joined two of Brianna's other friends, Ella Watkins and Eleanor Taylor, to pay tribute to their "passionate" and "confident" friend.

Talking about when Brianna went through hormone treatment as part of her transition during the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020, Emily said: "It was incredible. She was completely different.

"You could just tell she was more comfortable in herself and she was so much happier.

"It was just like, she was beautiful, like she was gorgeous."

Ella, who recorded a number of TikToks with Brianna, said the pair "bounced off each other".

"I first met Brianna in year nine," she said. "I saw her in a big group of people and I was really drawn to her because she was such a diverse character."

She added: "Out of everyone that it could have been - and obviously, I wouldn't wish on anybody - but it was Brianna.

"And it was like she didn't deserve that. After everything that she'd been through already in life, she didn't deserve that."

• Granada Reports journalist Emma Sweeney spoke to Brianna's friends

The girls, who have now left school and are pursuing college courses, said they struggle to think about how Brianna could have now been doing "what she loved", but instead "it got taken away".

Eleanor said: "It's going to be weird thinking that while we're doing our courses, she could have been sat in a classroom doing someone's makeup and straightening someone's hair this whole time."

"She could have been doing what she really loved, and obviously it got taken away from her and it’s just not fair at all," Emily added.

Emily's poem:

They say I'm sorry for your loss and our hearts will mend,They say you're in a better place and that death is not the end.I still can't believe that all of this is real,Maybe with thoughts and time, we can all begin to heal.

I miss your beautiful smile, your sense of humour, and the way you would laugh and joke, I miss your gorgeous sense of style and the witty words you spoke.You were never afraid to be yourself, and that we all admire, Your feistiness and sassy personality always glowed like fire.

We have all cried together and cried alone, There are so many emotions for you that have been shown.I, as well as many others, wish you were still here,But with our happy memories you will always be near.

Brianna, I don't think I can put into words how amazing you were, You are wonderful to think about, yet so hard to live without.I know now that it's time for you to sleep I just didn't think that would be so soon.You will always be forever loved, forever missed and always remembered.Sleep tight our pink angel, Brianna.

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