Brianna Ghey's killers sentenced to at least 20 years behind bars

The teenage killers who murdered Brianna Ghey have been sentenced to life in prison

The "sadistic" teenagers who carried out the "exceptionally brutal" killing of Brianna Ghey will spend at least 20 years behind bars until it is decided they "no longer present a danger".

Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe took part in the "brutal and planned murder" partly motivated by "hostility" due to Brianna's transgender identity, the judge said.

How could two seemingly ‘innocent’ teenagers became killers, concocting a kill list, luring Brianna into a park and stabbing her, in a "frenzied and ferocious" attack, 28 times?

The pair were 15 when they carried out the "frenzied and ferocious" attack in Culcheth's Linear Park, Warrington in February 2023.

They stabbed the 16-year-old 28 times with a hunting knife in the "sustained and violent" assault inflicted with "considerable force" to her head, chest, back and neck.

Sentencing them both at Manchester Crown Court, Mrs Justice Yip said the pair would only be released if the "no longer posed a danger" - a decision taken by the parole board.

She said: "You both took part in a brutal and planned murder which was sadistic in nature, where a secondary motive was hostility towards Brianna because of her transgender identity."

She added: "You will only be released if in the future it is decided you no longer present a danger. That decision will be for the parole board.

"If you remain a danger, you will serve very much longer than the minimum term and will never be released.

"But you are very young, and it can only be hoped you will work hard on your rehabilitation and overcome what caused you to kill so you can be released one day."

Jenkinson, currently held in Adel Beck secure children’s home in Leeds, was given a minimum term of 22 years before parole by trial judge Mrs Justice Yip.

Ratcliffe, currently at Barton Moss secure children’s home in Salford, was given a minimum of 20 years before parole.

During the trial four-week trial at Manchester Crown Court, the pair were known only as Girl X and Boy Y due to reporting restrictions in place because of their ages, but those have now been lifted.

• Mrs Justice Yip told Jenkinson and Ratcliffe they would only be released if they no longer "posed a danger"

Addressing the pair Mrs Justice Yip said: "I do not want to dwell on the murder itself, but it was brutal.

"The injuries, inflicted with the knife Eddie had bought a few weeks earlier, were awful."

Speaking to Jenkinson she said the teen had “enjoyed” killing Brianna.

“Scarlett, your motivation was to act out your fantasies," she said. “Brianna’s injuries showed she was killed with exceptional brutality.

“This was a murder involved sadistic conduct."

Moving on to Ratcliffe, she said: "You knew what Scarlett wanted to do and why, and you understood her desire to see Brianna suffer.

"You actively participated in the brutal murder knowing the sadistic motives behind it.”

Jenkinson made no reaction as she was told she must serve more than two decades behind bars.

She sat blinking occasionally as she was addressed by the judge and briefly asked a question of her intermediary, or approved adult, sat beside her in the dock.

Her mother, sat to her right in the public gallery, dabbed tears from her eyes with tissue.

Ratcliffe, also seated and looking directly in front of him, made no visible reaction as he was sentenced.

He was led down to the cells without looking over at his mother, who was sat to the left of the dock.

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