Brianna Ghey trial: Alleged killer had note detailing plan to murder teen

A handwritten note detailing plans to stab transgender girl Brianna Ghey to death was found in the bedroom of one of the teenagers charged with her murder, a court has heard. 

Two teenagers, a boy and a girl known as X and Y, who cannot be named for legally reasons, are on trial at Manchester Crown Court, accused of murdering Ghey on 11 February. Both deny the charge.

Ghey was 16 when she was found with stab wounds in Linear Park in Culcheth, Warrington, by members of the public. 

On Tuesday (28 November), a jury heard how the teens had planned Brianna’s murder for a number of weeks, swapping messages about killing the teen and other children. 

Prosecutor Deanna Heer said X sent a picture of a handwritten note to Y on 3 February, headed “Saturday 11th February 2023. Victim: Brianna Ghey”.

The note was found in the girl’s bedroom following her arrest and also read: “Meet boy Y at wooden posts 1pm. Walk down to library… bus stop,” the court heard.

“Wait until Brianna gets off bus then the three of us walk to Linear Park. Go to the pipe/tunnel area.

“I say code word to boy Y. He stabs her in the back as I stab her in the stomach. Boy Y drags the body into the area. We both cover up the area with logs etc.”

Heer said this note was “clearly… a plan to kill Brianna Ghey”. 

A second note was found in Y’s bedroom, allegedly detailing another plan to give the victim “alcohol with sleeping pills, slit throat, dismember body, place pieces in bin bags, bury bags seven feet underground”. 

The court heard that the note went on to say: “Get her to go to Linear Park, go to the hidden spot near the bridge I usually go to, someone jumps out and restrains her (plan B). I kill her”. 

‘Obvious’ to set up ‘false defence’

The prosecution went on to say X and Ghey exchanged Snapchat messages while in the park together on 11 February, before X deleted the chat at 3.06pm after asking: “Girl, where are you?”

Heer said this is when the murder is believed to have taken place, with a subsequent 999 call and Ghey being pronounced dead at 4.02pm. 

The day following day, X messaged Ghey’s phone, saying: “Girl, is everything OK? Some teenage girl got killed in Linear Park, it’s on [the] news everywhere.

“And why did you ditch us for some random man from Manchester. Like wtf. That is so f***** up.”

She also posted on Snapchat that Ghey was an “amazing friend”, when news broke of her death. 

“The prosecution say that was an obvious attempt by girl X to set up a sort of false defence, were anybody to look at her phone in due course,” Heer said. 

The trial continues.