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When Brianna Ghey left home on 11 February, she thought she was going to meet a friend. But in what detectives described as the “ultimate betrayal”, the 16-year-old had been lured from her house that Saturday afternoon by a girl with “murderous intent”.

A little more than two hours later Brianna, who was transgender, was stabbed 28 times in her head, neck and back with a hunting knife in Linear Park in Culcheth, near Warrington.

In the weeks before her murder two 15-year-olds, known only as girl X and boy Y, had meticulously planned the killing as they exchanged thousands of texts and WhatsApp messages.

Manchester Crown Court heard the killers shared “dark thoughts” and talked about their fascination with serial killers, violence, torture and death.

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Brianna Ghey on the day of her murder

As their conversations moved from horror films and Sweeney Todd to thoughts of murder, they compiled a “kill list” including Brianna and four other children.

In one exchange they discussed how they could kill one boy by hanging, but girl X said: “If we can’t get [him] tomorrow we can kill Brianna.”

She said she was “obsessed” with Brianna, while boy Y referred to her as “it” in what Cheshire Police Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Evans called “transphobic messages”.

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But he said no motive has been identified for the murder and believes it was simply Brianna’s “availability and accessibility” that made her the victim that day, adding: “This was about murderous intent for anyone.”

“They had a real thirst for death and for murder,” he said. “We believe that there were others possibly who it would’ve been had it not been Brianna.”

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Brianna Ghey’s parents read statement outside court following verdict

‘So I bring my knife’

Jurors were told girl X boasted of giving Brianna an overdose of ibuprofen gel in the weeks before her death.

Her mother Esther Ghey remembered she was “really sick”, adding: “She was writhing around in pain screaming, ‘I think I’m going to die’.”

In another exchange, girl X told boy Y that Brianna, from Birchwood, Warrington, had agreed to meet and he replied: “So I bring my knife.”

Girl X said: “Yes, is it definitely sharp enough btw,” then: “Meet me at the wooden posts in Linear at 12, we’ll go over plan again and I’ll show you where I’m killing her and then we both walk to the library to meet her.

“And grab onto Brianna, slit her throat, when she starts to fall stab her in the back then pass me knife. I want to stab her at least once even if she’s dead jus coz its fun lol.”

Girl X and Boy Y exchanged thousands of messages
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Girl X and Boy Y exchanged thousands of messages

Detectives said teens had 'thirst to kill'
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Detectives said teens had ‘thirst to kill’

Brianna didn’t keep the arrangement on 28 January because of a family birthday but after agreeing to another meeting two weeks later girl X told boy Y she was “excited af” – meaning as f*** – the night before the killing.

CCTV footage shows Brianna getting on the bus to meet the pair and looking at her phone when she sent her mother a message saying: “I’m on the bus by myself, I’m scared”.

“That’s well good,” her mother replied. She told the jury she “was really proud of her” as she didn’t go out much because of her anxiety, but doesn’t think her daughter ever read the message.

Brianna's mum believes she never saw her final text
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Brianna’s mum believes she never saw her final text

‘Murder plan’ found in bedroom

“I think this was the ultimate betrayal of someone she considered to be a friend who has lured her out of her house,” said Det Ch Supt Evans. “She thought she had a friend and actually that friend was planning to kill her.”

In the hours after the stabbing, girl X shared a tribute to “amazing friend” Brianna online and told her mother and police the victim had left the park with a young man from Manchester.

But she and boy Y were arrested within 24 hours of Brianna’s body being found by walkers and detectives said they seemed “quite timid but assured” until they realised the weight of the evidence against them.

A knife and blood-soaked clothes were found in boy Y’s bedroom.

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Brianna Ghey murder ‘most brutal attack’

A crumpled handwritten note described as a “murder plan”, was found on the floor of girl X’s bedroom with the heading: “Saturday, 11th February, 2023. Victim Brianna Ghey.”

With a smiley face and a heart in the top corner, the note said: “I say code word to [Boy Y]. He stabs her in the back as I stab her in stomach. [Boy Y] drags the body into the area. We both cover up the area with logs etc.”

“They thought they could take another human life and they thought there wouldn’t be any comeuppance for them and they’d never get caught,” said Det Ch Supt Evans.

“Really, their downfall has been their confidence or arrogance.”

Girl X posted a tribute to Brianna after allegedly murdering her
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Girl X posted a tribute to Brianna

The prosecution alleges this note was a plan to kill Brianna Ghey. Pic: Cheshire Police
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Handwritten ‘murder plan’ found in girl X’s bedroom. Pic: Cheshire Police

A ‘deadly influence on each other’

The officer described both killers as “high-functioning intelligent children”, although their age and mental health issues meant they were afforded special measures in court, including fidget toys and a schedule similar to a school day.

Articulate girl X, who was said to have “traits” of autism and ADHD, told the jury she had seen boy Y stabbing Brianna five or six times after hearing screams.

Boy Y, who gradually stopped talking following his arrest and was diagnosed with autism and selective mutism, typed his evidence, claiming he had given his knife to girl X, who had stabbed Brianna.

After the pair, who are now aged 16, were convicted, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) deputy crown prosecutor Ursula Doyle said: “They were both equally responsible in planning the killing and carrying it out.”

She said the pair “appear to have been a deadly influence on each other and turned what may have started out as dark fantasies about murder into a reality”.

“The messages provided a terrifying insight into the warped fantasies of the two defendants,” Ms Doyle added.

“However, they also provided us with the detailed planning of the attack and the attempts to cover it up.”

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Bradford: One child dies and four other people taken to hospital after house fire

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Bradford: One child dies and four other people taken to hospital after house fire

A child has died in a house fire in Bradford.

A woman and three other children managed to escape the property and are being treated in hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

In a statement, West Yorkshire Police said: “At 1.08 this morning (5 May) police were called by the fire service to reports of a serious house fire on Kingsdale Drive, Bradford.

“A woman and three children managed to escape the property and were taken to hospital for treatment. Their injuries are not life-threatening.

Police at scene of fatal house fire in Bradford
Police at scene of fatal house fire in Bradford

“A fourth child was found inside the address and was sadly pronounced deceased at the scene,” police added.

“A scene is currently in place at the address and police are working with the fire investigators to establish the exact cause of the fire.”

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

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Rishi Sunak urges Tories to stick with his leadership after party suffers shock election losses

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Rishi Sunak urges Tories to stick with his leadership after party suffers shock election losses

Rishi Sunak has urged Tories to stick with his leadership despite the Conservatives’ shock defeat in the West Midlands mayoral election, which capped a dire few days of results for the party.

Sir Keir Starmer called it a “phenomenal result” which was “beyond our expectations” as Labour’s Richard Parker ousted Tory incumbent Andy Street, who had held the role for seven years.

The margin of victory was a cruelly tight 1,508 votes, and compounded Conservative disappointment as it followed another loss to Sadiq Khan in London, who secured a record-breaking third term as the capital’s mayor.

Local elections live
The mayoral election results

“People across the country have had enough of Conservative chaos and decline and voted for change with Labour. Our fantastic new mayor Richard Parker stands ready to deliver a fresh start for the West Midlands,” Sir Keir said.

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‘Devastated’ Andy Street refuses to blame Sunak after West Midlands defeat

However, in an effort to win back those who had deserted his party over Labour’s stance on Gaza, he added: “I say directly to those who may have voted Labour in the past but felt that on this occasion that they couldn’t that across the West Midlands we are a proud and diverse community.

“I have heard you. I have listened. And I am determined to meet your concerns and to gain your respect and trust again in the future.”

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Labour suffered losses to independents and George Galloway’s Worker’s Party of Britain in areas with large Islamic populations as a result of the war between Israel and Hamas.

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Starmer speaks at East Midlands victory rally

But the party virtually swept the mayoral elections board across England, winning in Liverpool, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and in Greater Manchester, where Andy Burnham returned to power.

The Tees Valley was the only remaining splash of blue left on the mayoral election map, where Lord Ben Houchen managed to cling to power despite a huge 14.1-point swing to Labour.

Lord Houchen’s victory was also mired by allegations he had sought to distance himself from Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party at large during his campaign.

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Sadiq Khan re-elected as London Mayor

Losing Mr Street, who is widely respected in the Tory Party and had an impressive track record of bringing investment into the West Midlands, is a body blow to the prime minister.

Despite the drubbing, Mr Sunak urged his party to stick with his leadership and his plan for government.

In a statement, he said: “It’s been disappointing of course to lose dedicated Conservative councillors and Andy Street in the West Midlands, with his track record of providing great public services and attracting significant investment to the area, but that has redoubled my resolve to continue to make progress on our plan.

“So we will continue working as hard as ever to take the fight to Labour and deliver a brighter future for our country.”

Pic: Reuters
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Rishi Sunak with Tees Valley mayor Lord Ben Houchen Pic: Reuters

However, Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, was quick to lay the blame for Tory losses firmly at the door of Number 10.

But she said ousting Mr Sunak “won’t work”, adding: “The hole to dig us out of is the PM’s, and it’s time for him to start shovelling.”

She urged him to adopt “strong leadership, not managerialism” on tax, migration, small boats, and law and order.

But Mr Street took a different view, encouraging the party not to veer to the right.

Asked if he is worried the party is drifting to the right and over-emphasising the threat from Reform UK while “ignoring other voters”, the outgoing mayor told Sky News: “I would definitely not advise that drift.

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Analysis of local election and mayoral results

Read more:
Charts tell story of Conservative collapse
Who is the new West Midlands mayor Richard Parker?

“The psychology here is really very straightforward, isn’t it? This is the youngest, most diverse, one of the most urban places in Britain, and we’ve done, many would say, extremely well over a consistent period,” Mr Street said.

“The message is clear: winning from that centre ground is what happens.”

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‘We will give this region a fresh start’ – Labour’s Richard Parker

Results are in from 106 of the 107 councils in England that held elections on 2 May, and Labour has won 1,140 seats, an increase of more than 200.

The Liberal Democrats beat the Tories into second place, winning 521 seats, up nearly 100.

The Tories were just behind on 513 seats, down nearly 400.

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Conservative Andy Street suffers shock loss to Labour in West Midlands mayoral race in blow to Rishi Sunak

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Conservative Andy Street suffers shock loss to Labour in West Midlands mayoral race in blow to Rishi Sunak

Tory incumbent Andy Street has suffered a shock defeat to Labour in the West Midlands mayoral election after a partial recount was ordered.

Labour’s Richard Parker beat Mr Street by just 1,508 votes – 0.25% – to deliver a major blow to Rishi Sunak in the key electoral battleground after a hammering in the local elections.

With the race neck-and-neck, in the end it came down to the results in one borough – Labour-supporting Sandwell.

“This is the most important thing I will ever do,” Mr Parker said in his acceptance speech.

“I promise you that I will deliver jobs,” he added.

He told Sky News he would take buses “back into public control” and deliver the “largest programme of social housing we’ve had in this region for more than 40 years”.

And he thanked his predecessor, who he said had “led this region through a number of great challenges and you deserve great credit for that”.

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Mr Street told Sky News he was “personally devastated”, had “put my all into this”, and “genuinely believed we were making real progress across the region”.

He said it was “my campaign, totally”, adding: “I’m not going to try to push responsibility anywhere else. There’ll be no sloping shoulders from me.”

He wished his successor “all strength and wisdom”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was a “phenomenal result” and “beyond our expectations”.

He added: “People across the country have had enough of Conservative chaos and decline and voted for change with Labour.

“My changed Labour Party is back in the service of working people, and stands ready to govern.”

Labour's Richard Parker speaks as he is elected as the new Mayor of West Midlands, following the count at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. Picture date: Saturday May 4, 2024.
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Labour’s Richard Parker has promised to deliver jobs

Local elections live
The mayoral election results

Ellie Reeves, Labour’s deputy national campaign co-ordinator, said it was a “significant victory”.

She added: “Right across the country people have voted for change and the message is clear – it’s time for a general election and a Labour government to get our country’s future back.”

Labour’s Sadiq Khan has secured a historic third term as London mayor with a convincing win over Conservative rival Susan Hall.

These results will increase pressure on the prime minister, who had been hoping for a repeat of the success enjoyed by Conservative Ben Houchen who held on as the mayor of Tees Valley.

Sam Coates, Sky News’s deputy political editor, said he had seen messages from Conservative MPs’ WhatsApp group.

One from former cabinet minister Simon Clarke, whom Coates said “wants Rishi Sunak to leave”, said: “These results are awful and should be a massive wake-up call.

“If we fight the same campaign in a few months [in the general election] we’ll get the same outcome or rather worse.

“Reform UK standing more candidates will cause greater damage.”

Read more:
The winners and losers
Charts tell story of Conservative collapse

Analysis: Labour’s future success is less clear-cut

The loss of either the Teesside or West Midlands mayoralties would give Tory rebels who want to change leader a “huge amount of fuel”, former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said in the Electoral Dysfunction podcast.

Mr Street, who was seeking a third term in office, sought to distance himself from the Conservative brand during his campaign and instead ran on a personal platform.

Sky News recently revealed that Mr Street was sending out election literature with an endorsement from former prime minister Boris Johnson which urged people to “forget about the government”.

His campaign website also made no mention of Mr Sunak on its homepage and was coloured in green rather than Conservative blue.

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