Teens Given Life Sentences for 'Sadistic' Killing of Transgender Teen

Justice Amanda Yip, presiding over the case at Manchester Crown Court, lifted reporting restrictions on naming the convicted teens. She identified them and handed them mandatory life sentences with minimum prison terms of 20 and 22 years for Ratcliffe and Jenkinson, respectively. If they were adults, the minimum terms would have been longer. They are slated to be transferred to adult prisons upon turning 18.

During the sentencing, Justice Yip emphasized the sadistic and planned nature of the murder, citing a secondary motivation rooted in hostility towards Brianna due to her transgender identity. Jenkinson, identified as the ringleader, received a longer minimum term as she was noted to have "enjoyed" killing Ghey, acting out her fantasies, according to Yip.

The trial, concluding in December, heard that the young offenders, previously known as "Girl X" and "Boy Y," had a fascination with violence, torture, and serial killers. Detectives uncovered a handwritten plan and phone messages detailing their weeks-long planning of the attack. The pair, who had not been in trouble with the law before, denied killing Ghey during the trial, blaming each other for the fatal stabbing. The jury, however, found them guilty.

Despite English law's usual protection of young offenders by preventing their naming until they turn 18, Yip argued for unrestricted reporting due to the strong public interest in an "exceptional case." Lawyers for the teens had expressed concerns about the potential impact on their welfare.

During the sentencing hearing, victim impact statements from Ghey's family and experts were presented. Ghey's father, Peter Spooner, described the difficulty of being the father of a transgender child but expressed pride in gaining "another beautiful daughter." He lamented that the murderers had stolen the opportunity to form a new relationship.

Ratcliffe and Jenkinson, with no prior police involvement, had planned not only Ghey's murder but also discussed killing others, prompting early dismissal of transphobia as a motive. Crown prosecutor Nicola Wyn Williams highlighted the deadly influence the two had on each other, turning dark fantasies into a horrific reality.

Brianna's parents urged that the convicted teens should never be released from prison. Esther Ghey, Brianna's mother, stated in a poignant court-read statement that moments of feeling sorry for the perpetrators were overshadowed by the realization that they showed no empathy when leaving Brianna to bleed to death after the premeditated and vicious attack, driven by hatred and a twisted sense of fun.

Source: NBC