Ex-Culture Minister Lord Vaizey says ‘there’s a public interest’ in naming Brianna Ghey’s killers – as judge decides whether to lift anonymity of teenagers who stabbed transgender schoolgirl to death
Ex-Culture Minister Lord Ed Vaizey has said ‘there is a public interest’ in naming the killers of Brianna Ghey.
Lord Vaizey, who served as the Culture and Digital Minister from 2010 to 2016, appeared on Good Morning Britain today ahead of a judge’s decision over whether to lift anonymity orders protecting the identities of the teenage killers.
Brianna, 16, was stabbed with a hunting knife 28 times in her head, neck, chest and back after being lured to Linear Park, Culcheth, a village near Warrington, Cheshire, on the afternoon of February 11.
Her killers, identified only as girl X and boy Y – both now aged 16 but 15 at the time, had denied murder and each blamed the other for the killing of the transgender teenager, described as ‘horrific’ by detectives.
Lord Vaizey said he ‘wouldn’t have a problem’ if the killers were named and claimed it would ‘help people understand what happened’.
He also pointed out that ‘a lot of people’ in her local community ‘will know exactly who they are’, adding that ‘if the local community know who they are why shouldn’t the general public know who they are?’
Ex-Culture Minister Lord Ed Vaizey (right) has said ‘there is a public interest’ in naming the killers of Brianna Ghey
Brianna (pictured), 16, was stabbed with a hunting knife 28 times in her head, neck, chest and back after in a park Cheshire, on the afternoon of February 11
Trial judge Mrs Justice Yip has said she will deal with an application by the press to publish the defendants’ names at a hearing at Manchester Crown Court today.
READ MORE: Heartbroken mother of murdered transgender teenager Brianna Ghey says murder of ‘fearless’ daughter will ‘haunt me forever’ – as torture-obsessed boy and girl are found guilty of stabbing her to death in park
At the same court on Wednesday, she also adjourned sentencing to an unconfirmed later date, making clear to the convicted pair that they faced life sentences.
Intelligent, ‘high functioning’ and coming from normal backgrounds, the trial heard the defendants had a fascination for violence, torture and murder – and had a ‘thirst for killing’.
Their lawyers asked for time for the preparation of psychologists’ reports before they are sentenced.
Mrs Justice Yip agreed, but added: ‘Frankly I don’t expect them to make a huge difference to the outcome in sentencing but given their ages and the unusual circumstances of the case, I think it is right I have all the information available.
‘I’m very conscious that no doubt the family of Brianna would want this case to be concluded as soon as possible.’
Yesterday Brianna’s heartbroken mother paid tribute to her ‘funny, witty and fearless’ daughter and slammed her killers for not showing ‘an ounce of remorse’.
Speaking outside court, Esther Ghey said: ‘Brianna was larger than life. She was funny, witty and fearless. We miss Brianna so much and our house feels empty without her laughter.
Brianna’s heartbroken mother Esther paid tribute to her ‘funny, witty and fearless’ daughter and slammed her killers for not showing ‘an ounce of remorse’
Brianna’s father, Peter Spooner, said he was ‘so proud’ of his daughter and would never stop loving her
‘To know how scared my usually fearless child must have been when she was alone in that park with someone that she called her friend will haunt me forever.’
Brianna’s father, Peter Spooner, said he was ‘so proud’ of his daughter and would never stop loving her.
Follow every detail of the case on The Mail’s acclaimed podcast The Trial
The Trial…takes listeners behind the headlines and into the courtrooms of some of the biggest trials in the world.
The first series ‘The Trial of Lucy Letby’ was a global hit, with more than 13 million downloads, while season two focused on the murder of Ashling Murphy, a 23-year-old teacher from Ireland.
Its third season follows the tragic case of Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old transgender girl killed in Warrington, England.
Follow the evidence as the jury hears it, in twice-weekly reports from The Daily Mail’s Northern Correspondent Liz Hull and broadcast journalist Caroline Cheetham.
He added: ‘It is impossible to put into words how the murder of my child has affected me. I never stopped loving her and I never will. When she was little I remember the faces she would pull to make me laugh.
‘The cheeky giggle, the funny dances are engraved in my memory. I knew she was going to be a star and the amount of support she received from the followers on TikTok proved this. I was so proud of what she could do.’
Speaking of her daughter’s killers Esther Ghey said: ‘Prior to the trial I had moments where I felt sorry for the defendants because they had ruined their own lives as well as ours.
‘But now, knowing the true nature and seeing neither display an ounce of remorse for what they have done to Brianna, I have lost all sympathy that I may have previously had for them. And I am glad that they will spend many years in prison and away from society.’
Earlier, she recalled the horrific moment police told her Brianna had died.
‘I sort of joked and said that if Brianna doesn’t come home soon I’ll probably have to ring the police,’ she told the BBC. I got to the front door and the front door was open and it was two policemen stood in the house.
‘And they said that they’d found a body and I remember the first thing that I said to him was that I knew, I knew, that something was going to happen.’
Now aged 16, the killers were spotted fleeing the scene before being arrested by cops barely 24 hours after hacking Brianna to death – with officers later discovering a chilling handwritten note detailing how they were going to murder her, headed: ‘Saturday 11th February 2023. Victim: Brianna Ghey’.
Along with the plan to kill the 16-year-old, another note found in Girl X’s bedroom read: ‘Give them alcohol with sleeping pills, slit throat, dismember body, place pieces in bin bags.’
During their murder trial, both of the teenagers attempted to wash their hands of the slaying, blaming each other for Brianna’s killing, with each telling the court their backs were turned when the other defendant began plunging the knife into her.
But a jury at Manchester Crown Court saw through the teenagers’ lies and, following a trial of more than three weeks, finally convicted the pair of Brianna’s murder. Girl X’s parents were in tears after the guilty verdicts were delivered, while Boy Y’s mother was also crying.
However there was no visible reaction from the teenage killers, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Brianna on her final bus journey to Culcheth before she was found stabbed to death in Linear Park
Following yesterday’s guilty verdicts, the Crown Prosecution Service released an image of the knife that killed Brianna
Following the verdicts, Mrs Justice Yip told Girl X and Boy Y: ‘I’m sure you probably already know that I have to impose a life sentence.
‘What I will have to decide is the minimum amount of time you will be required to serve before you can be considered for release.
‘I am going to see what other steps need to be taken before I sentence.’
The judge excused jurors from serving on a jury again for life before adjourning the court hearing briefly.
Girl X, wearing a pinafore style dress, spoke to her social worker and glanced at her parents leaving the courtroom. Boy Y, who avoids all eye contact, did not look over at his mother as he was led from the dock carrying his Sudoku puzzles book.
She continued sobbing uncontrollably while being hugged by her friend.
The trial heard how Brianna was found by dog walkers in Linear Park shortly after 3pm on Saturday, February 11. Her bloodied body was discovered face down in mud, having been stabbed to the head, neck, back and chest.
Her jugular vein had also been severed, causing ‘catastrophic blood loss’, while another knife blow penetrated Brianna’s heart. The teen was pronounced dead at the scene at 4.02pm.
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