Inquest into death of murdered British transgender teen Brianna Ghey hears mother 'knew something like this was going to happen'
An inquest into Brianna Ghey's death started on Wednesday.
An inquest into the death of murdered transgender teenager Brianna Ghey has heard how her mother "knew something like this was going to happen".
Warning: This story contains details which may be upsetting for readers.
Brianna, 16, was stabbed to death with a hunting knife 28 times in her head, neck, chest and back in broad daylight after being lured to a park in the town of Warrington, England, on February 11, 2023.
Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, both 15 at the time, were found guilty of Brianna's murder in December 2023 and have been sentenced to life in prison.
Jenkinson must serve a minimum of 22 years before being eligible for parole and Ratcliffe 20 years.
The trial had heard that the pair were intelligent and had a fascination with violence, torture and serial killers. They had planned the attack for weeks, detailed in a handwritten plan and phone messages found by detectives.
When passing sentencing in February this year, the judge ruled Ratcliffe — a friend of Jenkinson's — also expressed transphobia towards Brianna.
An inquest into Brianna's death started on Wednesday and is expected to last until Friday.
Here is what we know so far.
What will the inquest look at?
Senior coroner for Cheshire Jacqueline Devonish outlined what the inquest would cover at Warrington Coroner's Court earlier this year.
"I think essentially it is matters around safeguarding that we are going to be concerned with," she said.
Ms Devonish said the starting point would be how Brianna was brought into contact with her killers Jenkinson and Ratcliffe.
Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe.
Jenkinson transferred to Birchwood High School and within weeks became obsessed with Brianna, a court earlier heard.
The inquest will examine if it "could reasonably have been foreseen" that Brianna would be at risk by being in the same school inclusion room as Jenkinson and whether the school was "appropriately placed to manage Brianna and Scarlett Jenkinson together in light of their histories and safeguarding considerations".
It will also examine whether relevant agencies had done enough to support Brianna with mental health, eating disorder and gender.
And more widely, Ms Devonish told the court, it will look at any measures to prevent future deaths.
'I knew something like this was going to happen'
Evidence from Brianna's mum Esther Ghey was read out at the inquest on Wednesday and detailed how Brianna had struggled with her mental health and an eating disorder, the BBC reports.
"When police came to the house I just knew something like this was going to happen as it was such a dark time for everyone," Ms Ghey's statement read.
"I can't believe the change that Brianna went through. When she was little, she was such a bundle of joy, but in her teenage years she was immersed in darkness.
"It sometimes feels like I'm grieving two different people."
At the age of 14, Brianna began to struggle with her mental health but would not engage with Child Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).
She developed an eating disorder and was hospitalised.
Staff at an eating disorder clinic noticed Brianna had been self-harming and informed Ms Ghey. "At one point she carved a row of love heart shapes on her arm," Ms Ghey's statement said.
Brianna, who had a massive following on TikTok, was also referred for treatment for ADHD and diagnosed with autism.
Ms Ghey said: "During 2020 Brianna started dressing as a female and going by the name Brianna," the Independent reports
"She had mentioned she had wanted hormone medication. There was a four-year waiting list on the NHS, so Brianna wanted to go private.
"I held out as long as possible because I was worried about the long-term consequences of taking puberty blockers, but it got to the stage where she said she'd kill herself if she couldn't take the medication."
The inquest was also told that when Brianna began to socialise with Jenkinson a year before her murder, Ms Ghey was relieved and "thankful" because she was socialising
Mother of killer said he had 'good morals'
Two statements were read out to the inquest on behalf of Eddie Ratcliffe's mother Alice Hemmings. Both were written after his arrest and before his trial.
As reported in the Guardian, one of Ms Hemmings' statements described Ratcliffe as “a good child, with good morals and a loving, caring family behind him”.
Ratcliffe had been planning to study microbiology at Oxbridge University before the murder and had never been in trouble at school, the inquest heard.
"Eddie clearly knows right and wrong, good and bad, and isn't a risk taker," Ms Hemmings said.
"He is cautious. He has never been diagnosed but has a lot of autistic traits. He is quite awkward but is polite."
Ms Hemmings described how her son seemed "tense and moody" as she dropped him off to meet Brianna and Jenkinson on the day of the murder.
Later on that evening after Brianna's death, Ratcliffe told his mother he had a good time.
“I asked him if he had a good time and he said yes. He had been chasing Pokemon [on the mobile game Pokémon Go] and had a ham and cheese baguette,” Ms Hemmings statement said.
The inquest continues.
ABC/Wires
By：https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-24/brianna-ghey-murder-inquest-hears-evidence-/104511292(责任编辑：admin)
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