WARNING – You may find some of the evidence below distressing
A girl accused of the murder of Brianna Ghey watched her "favourite film" Sweeney Todd the night before the teenager was stabbed to death.
The youth and a boy, both of whom are aged 16 and cannot be named for legal reasons, are currently standing trial at Manchester Crown Court charged with murdering the 16-year-old, who was knifed 28 times in the head, neck, back and chest during a "sustained and violent assault" in Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington on February 11 this year. Girl X, from Warrington, and Boy Y, from Leigh, both deny this count and "blame each other".
Deanna Heer KC told the court during the prosecution's opening earlier this week that messages between the two youths in the weeks and months before the stabbing "showed a preoccupation with violence and torture and death". The then 15-year-olds were also said to have discussed killing other children who they knew.
READ MORE: Live court updates as two teenagers appear over Brianna Ghey murder
A jury of seven men and five women heard yesterday, Wednesday, of an exchange on WhatsApp on the evening of February 10 2023. In it, Girl X told Boy Y that Sweeney Todd was her favourite film and she had watched it thousands of times previously.
She said: "I’ve just put my favourite film on. I’m watching it for like the 9,000th time.
"You should watch Sweeney Todd, he kills people with one of the sharpest blades in the world. One slice is very deep."
Girl X then sent him a clip from the movie and added: "He’s singing about abducting a child. It’s really good and dark and gory and romantic."
Boy Y replied: "I can’t watch romantic films."
Girl X later told him that she was "excited as f*** for tomorrow". Jurors heard on Tuesday of a message she had sent to Boy Y on November 7 2022, when they were allegedly discussing how they wanted to kill a child known as "Boy M".
The teen said on this occasion: "If I do end up killing [Boy M], I have a really sharp blade, the same one that Sweeney Todd uses. If we kill [Boy M] can I keep some things, a couple of teeth and an eye.
"Idk [I don't know] how I would cut eye out though and get teeth out. And torture before killing."
Boy Y replied: "And if you cut his heels and chop his tongue he can’t run or talk. I don’t know what I would get of him."
The trial, before Mrs Justice Yip, continues. It is expected to last three to four weeks in total.
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