Brianna Ghey’s mother tells inquest: ‘I knew something like this was going to happen’

An inquest into the death of trans teenager Brianna Ghey has heard her mother reveal that she “knew something like this was going to happen”. 

In December, Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe were found guilty of murder after stabbing Brianna 28 times in a park in Cheshire in February 2023. Both were sentenced to life imprisonment. Jenkinson will have to serve a minimum of 22 years, Ratcliffe at least 20 years. 

An inquest into 16-year-old Ghey’s death opened on Wednesday (23 October) and is expected to last for three days.

Brianna’s mum, Esther, provided evidence that was read out on Wednesday, in which she revealed how her daughter had struggled with mental-health issues and had an eating disorder.

“When police came to the house, I just knew something like this was going to happen as it was such a dark time for everyone,” she said.

“I can’t believe the change that Brianna went through. When she was little, she was such a bundle of joy but in her teenage years she was immersed in darkness. It sometimes feels like I’m grieving two different people.”

Despite struggling with her mental health, Brianna refused to engage with support services. Her eating disorder resulted in her being hospitalised. 

Esther said of her daughter’s self-harming: “At one point, she carved a row of love heart shapes on her arm.” 

Brianna, who was also referred for treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and diagnosed with autism, began dressing to align with her gender identity in 2020. 

The teenager had wanted to start hormones but because of a four-year NHS waiting list, insisted on going privately.

“I held out as long as possible because I was worried about the long-term consequences of taking puberty blockers, but it got to the stage where she said she’d kill herself if she couldn’t take the medication,” Esther said. 

Warrington Coroner’s Court heard that her mother had been “thankful” when Brianna began to socialise with Jenkinson a year before the murder. 

A previous review into local safeguarding services found that Jenkinson was not seen as a “serious” risk to others. 

Esther said the review “clearly found that nobody could have predicted the events that took place”, adding that her family is “now focused on looking forward to creating a safer, more empathetic and resilient society, in Brianna’s legacy”.

The inquest continues.