THE frenzied fatal stabbing of transgender teenager Brianna Ghey in a Culcheth park on a Saturday afternoon led to worldwide protests and vigils against perceived transphobia.
But detectives investigating the case don’t believe Brianna was murdered by two teens, identified only as girl X and boy Y, because she was transgender, although members of the Manchester Pride issued a statement post the verdict stating it had left a real impact on the LGBTQ+ community.
The four-week trial at Manchester Crown Court heard boy Y used ‘dehumanising’ language, talking about Brianna, referring to her as an ‘it’ and referring to her as a “tranny” or “femboy.”
But it will ultimately be up to the trial judge Mrs Justice Yip to decide if hatred of transgender people played any part in her death.
The killers, both convicted of Brianna’s murder, drew a ‘kill list’ of four other children – none of whom are transgender.
Detective Superintendent Mike Evans, head of crime at Cheshire Police, said he believed girl X and boy Y had a “thirst for killing” and it was Brianna’s vulnerability and accessibility that made her a target.
Mr Evans said: “I think if it hadn’t been Brianna it would have been one of the four other children on that list.
“It’s just that Brianna was the one who was accessible at that time, and then became the focus of those desires, so to speak.
“And I accept now you look at the text messages, I think, on the sort of side of the boy, there’s some horrific, dehumanising and transphobic messages in there, but actually when you look at the girl involved, she almost admires/is obsessed with Brianna.
“So I still think to this day, Brianna wasn’t killed because she was transgender.
“And possibly the fact she was transgender made her that little bit more vulnerable and accessible.”
Initially, immediately after Brianna’s murder, in February, police said her murder was not ‘hate’ related.
But a few days into the inquiry they admitted her transgender status may have been a factor – after discovering the text messages between X and Y.
Ursula Doyle, deputy chief crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in Merseyside and Cheshire, said: “All the prosecution can do is prosecute the evidence we have.
“And obviously, it’s not part of the prosecution case to label it one way or another.
“The evidence is there, the evidence of the messages is there, the evidence of the language used.
“The Crown doesn’t have to prove a motive and so it wasn’t that we had to prove a particular motive to say it was motivated by hostility to a transgender person or motivated by anything else.
“Our role is simply to present the evidence to the court.
“Once all the evidence has been heard, the convictions are recorded, the verdicts have been recorded and the sentencing exercise takes place, that’s the point the court, the trial judge, has to decide whether there is evidence before him, or her in this case, to show that actually this offence was motivated by hate, by hostility towards transgender.
“So it’s not a case that we can label it as, prosecute it as, one thing or another. We prosecuted it as a murder and we presented the evidence that we found, that the police found, and put it before the court.”
A vigil at Culcheth
A spokesperson from Manchester Pride, whpo said the murdre had left a real impact on the LGBTQ+ community issued the following statement.
“As we hear the outcome of today’s verdict in the tragic murder of Brianna Ghey, a brave young trans woman from Cheshire, our hearts go out to Brianna’s family and friends during this incredibly sad time.
“Brianna was just 16 years old and deserved a future where trans individuals live securely, and with respect. But instead, her life was devastatingly cut short.
“No amount of legal accountability can ever make up for the profound loss to Brianna’s family, friends and the LGBTQ+ community, and shocking crimes such as these show how much more needs to be done to protect the trans community, enabling them to live free of fear.
“Today serves as a sombre reminder to safeguard trans lives, our beautiful community should never be harmed or doubted but protected and loved.”
Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols also issued a statement saying: “No verdict can bring Brianna back to her loving family and friends, or repair the heartbreak her murder caused in our community. It is important nonetheless to see justice done, and I hope today’s verdict holding both killers jointly accountable for Brianna’s murder will help bring a sense of closure, and mean we can remember Brianna as she lived and not for the awful circumstances in which she died. Her determination to live her life unapologetically as her authentic self, her humour and wit, and her kindness.
“I want to pay enormous tribute to Esther Ghey and Brianna’s family for their courage and dignity in the face of unimaginable grief and trauma in the national and international media spotlight. And I want to give thanks to all those in the criminal justice system who secured this prosecution and conviction, in very difficult circumstances, and those who have supported Brianna’s family, friends and classmates to navigate these last ten months.
“My prayers are with all those who knew and loved Brianna, and all those who have been so profoundly affected by her senseless and untimely death. I hope Peace In Mind, the legacy project for Brianna, will continue to go from strength to strength with the support of our community as we remember her.
My statement on today’s unanimous verdict that Girl X and Boy Y are guilty of the murder of Brianna Ghey. pic.twitter.com/EZNEwJ9xoy
— Charlotte Nichols (@charlotte2153) December 20, 2023
Boy and girl with “thirst for killing” both found guilty of murder of teenager Brianna Ghey
