WARNING – You may find some of the evidence below distressing.
A girl accused of the murder of Brianna Ghey claimed a "shady" man had been spotted in the park where she was stabbed to death.
The teen 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 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: Brianna Ghey live court updates as murder trial continues
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A jury of seven men and five women heard today, Friday, of exchanges in the hours after Brianna was killed. The first phone contact between the two defendants after the stabbing came at 4.24pm, when Boy Y sent a WhatsApp message to Girl X asking: "So, how's your cat?"
She replied: "Good lol. How's yours?"
Boy Y told her "it keeps trying to purr", to which Girl X said "aw". She later added: "My brother just told me not to [go to] Linear Park cos a woman got stabbed."
He responded: "Jesus. Really?"
Girl X said: "[Brother’s name] was walking the dog and said he saw loads of police and s***, and that a woman got murdered. He’s also told my parents."
Boy Y replied "holy c**p". Shortly before 6pm, Girl X followed up: "The woman is still alive, [brother's name] said she’s in a critical condition and got airlifted to hospital.”
He later sent her a screenshot of an article "police confirm death of woman found with serious injuries", accompanied by the words: "She is dead: Apparently she’s died."
Girl X responded "ok". She then searched online for news of the stabbing and sent screenshots to other friends along with the message "someone died".
And she then messaged Boy Y to say: "Even my family in [location] know about the murder now. Apparently my parents were in Linear at the same time as us walking the dog.
"My parents said they saw a man who looked shady in a grey hoodie with the hood up, about 20. They think it could have been him."
"It's spread so quick on the news. When do you think they’ll find out the name and release it?"
Shortly after 8pm, Girl X watched videos of Brianna on Snapchat. At 10.30pm, she Googled "leather flare pants" and "leather bell bottoms" before, around 11pm, she messaged Boy Y: "The woman that was killed in Linear, police think she was in her 20s."
She then asked him "do you have anxiety about getting caught?". Boy Y replied: "Probably."
But Girl X told him: "You're not going to get caught, don't worry. Police are s***e here.
"I haven’t been caught yet and I’m a lot less smart than you."
The trial, before Mrs Justice Yip, continues. It is expected to last three to four weeks in total.
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