Brianna Ghey’s ‘killer watched Sweeney Todd night before knife murder’ as tragic teen’s last text to mum revealed
A GIRL accused of killing Brianna Ghey watched Sweeney Todd for the “9,000th time” the night before the knife murder, a court heard.
The teen, then aged 15, also discussed with her co-accused which blade he would bring to stab the 16-year-old to death.
Jurors heard the following day, the girl and boy, known only as X and Y for legal reasons, lured Brianna to Linear Park in Warrington.
Once there, the transgender schoolgirl was knifed 28 times by the pair, it is said.
Manchester Crown Court was today told about the hours leading up to the bloodbath on February 11.
X had been messaging Y saying she’d put on her “favourite” film, Sweeney Todd, for the “9,000th time”.
Describing the plot to the dark blockbuster starring Johnny Depp, she added: “He kills people with one of the sharpest blades in the world.”
The following morning, unwitting Brianna left her home to meet X and Y in the park.
Her mum Esther Ghey said that her daughter, who would often stay in at weekends due to her anxiety, had messaged to say she was meeting X and was on the bus.
Brianna had added: “I’m scared”.
In response to Brianna being out, Ms Grey replied: “That’s well good”.
Speaking in a statement to jurors, she added: “I was really proud of her. I don’t think she ever saw it.”
Brianna was tragically found covered in blood and lying face down in mud shortly after sending the text.
Jurors were told she had suffered “unsurvivable” injuries, including catastrophic blood loss after she was knifed in the back and chest.
Jurors heard the teens were “preoccupied with violence, torture and death” and “encouraged one another to to think about how they would actually carry out a killing”.
They originally planned to meet Brianna on January 28 but Y said he would not be able to carry out the killing on a “school night”, it was said.
X replied: “I don’t want to wait, I just want her to die. I want to see pure horror on her face and hear her scream in pain.”
The boy responded: “Really? All I wanted to see is what size d**k it had.”
In another message, girl X said: ” I really want one of its eyes. They have pretty eyes.”
Jurors heard how X and Y had “planned together to kill Brianna in just the way that she was in fact killed”.
X had grown “obsessed” with the teen and had written a note headed “Saturday 11th February 2023. Victim: Brianna Ghey” – the day the schoolgirl was killed.
It read: “Meet Y at wooden posts 1pm. Walk down to library…bus stop. Wait until Brianna gets off bus then the 3 of us walk to linear park. Go to the pipe/tunnel area.
“I say code word to Y. He stabs her in the back as I stab her in the stomach. Y drags the body into the area. We both cover up the area with logs etc”.
Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC told the court the note was a “plan to kill Brianna”.
The pair had also allegedly compiled a list of four people they wanted to kill in addition to Brianna.
When officers then raided her home, they discovered another note with a “plan to kill”, it was said.
This one said: “Slit throat, dismember body, place pieces in bin bags, bury bags 7 feet underground”.
Officers also discovered notes about serial killers, including Jeffrey Dahmer, Richard Ramirez and Harold Shipman.
X and Y, who legally can’t be named, both deny murder.
The trial continues.
