Two England teenagers have been sentenced to life in prison over the "brutal, planned, and sadistic" murder of transgender Brianna Ghey in a park in Cheshire in February 2023.
The suspects in the murder case of the 16-year-old were identified as Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe. Justice Amanda Yup said that the former was motivated to carry out the brutal killing by a "deep desire to kill" while the latter was partially motivated by Ghey's transgender identity.
The court sentenced Jenkinson to a minimum of 22 years while Ratcliffe was given a minimum sentence of 20 years. The two teenagers were both 15 years old at the time of the crime and were 16 years old at the time of their sentencing. They could be seen staring towards the judge while the sentence was being read but showed no visible reaction.
As the judge was sentencing the pair at Manchester Crown Court, she did not "want to dwell on the murder itself but it was brutal." Judge Yip noted that Ghey suffered 28 stab wounds, which, taken together, point to a very sustained and violent assault," as per BBC.
The judge said that sadly, Ghey could not have lost consciousness immediately during the brutal murder and argued that she must have been aware that she was being attacked. The victim's family members were sitting across several branches in the courtroom.
Ghey's father, Peter Spooner, nodded as Jenkinson's sentence was being handed down by the judge. The relatives of the two killers were also present during the sentencing as Jenkinson's mother could be seen crying as the hearing concluded.
The judge in the case said that Jenkinson's fantasy to kill had become a reality when she lured Ghey to the park and murdered the transgender teenager. While Justice Yip acknowledged that the defendant had been the driving force behind the plan, it would be "wholly wrong" to treat the other suspect, Ratcliffe, as being under Jenkinson's control.
Brutal, Planned, and Sadistic Murder
The sentencing hearing began with some startling new information, while Jenkinson had pleaded not guilty at trial, she admitted that she stabbed Ghey repeatedly. She said that she did so more times than she could remember, saying that it was "a lot," according to The Guardian.
The defendant told a psychiatrist that she found the incident "exciting" while they were talking at the secure unit where she was being held by law enforcement. Jenkinson said that she did the crime because she thought that Ghey was going to stop being her friend and believed that it was the only way they could always be together.
The judge in the case said that the defendants will only be released if, in the future, it is decided that they no longer present a danger to the public. Prior to being identified, Jenkinson and Ratcliffe were known as "Girl X" and "Boy Y," respectively.
But Justice Yip said that after the two suspects were found guilty last month over Ghey's murder, there was a strong public interest in the full and unrestricted reporting of the case. On the other hand, lawyers for the defendants argued that naming them would have ramifications for their welfare, said the Associated Press.
Related Article: Protesters Close Roads Between Belgium and Netherlands
