A transgender teenager was stabbed to death by two 16-year-olds who wanted to see if she screamed like a boy or a girl, a court heard.
Brianna Ghey, 16, was allegedly murdered by the pair, who had previously drawn up a 'death list' of at least five victims and had a 'preoccupation with torture and violence'.
None of the suspects, who are now both 16, cannot be named due to their age. They were only identified on the first day of their trial as girl X, from Warrington, and boy Y, from Leigh, Greater Manchester.
On Monday, Manchester Crown Court heard that in the months before the murder, X had developed a 'dark obsession' with Brianna because she was 'really different'.
Brianna was found by dog walkers with fatal injuries on a path in Culcheth Linear Park, near Warrington, Cheshire, shortly after 3pm on February 11 this year.
Jurors were told she was stabbed 28 times in the head, neck, back and chest in a "sustained and violent attack" by the two teenagers, who had spoken in depth about how they planned to kill her.
The court heard that Brianna - who was born male - was alive, dressed and called herself a woman at the time of her death.
In text messages, the teens discussed whether Brianna would "scream like a boy or a girl" as they made plans to "kill" her, the court heard.
Her alleged killers, both aged fifteen at the time, had tried to lure her to the park weeks earlier under the pretext of using drugs, but Brianna canceled at the last minute.
X, wearing a dress and gray vest, and the boy, wearing black trousers and shirt with a gray tie, sat silently in the dock as the trial began.
Opening the prosecution case, Deanna Heer KC said text messages exchanged between the alleged killers in the days, weeks and months before the murder "showed that they were preoccupied with violence, torture and death".
"[The messages] record them discussing how they wanted to kill people they knew.
The story continues
"If that wasn't an unusual way for two teenagers to talk to each other, the messages show how over time they encouraged each other to think about how they would actually commit murder, and how together they planned to kill. Brianna the way she was actually killed.
In text messages sent in November 2022, three months before Brianna was killed, the pair discussed the murder of another boy, named only M, who was interested in the same girl as Y.
X later claimed to have killed two people, although prosecutors said there was no evidence this was true.
On December 15, 2022, she sent a message to Y that said, "I'm obsessed with someone I know but have no feelings for him... Her name is Brianna... I don't know how to explain it. She also has a d- lol."
The court heard that Y responded to the message with insulting comments.
X told him that Brianna was "trans" and that she "sounded just like a girl and looked very beautiful."
The court heard Y replied: "I don't think you're in love per se, but I think you're more curious and intrigued by the unnatural nature of it."
X agreed that she found Brianna "fascinating," adding, "She really is different."
A month before the murder, in January, the court heard, X's obsession with Brianna became "darker".
On January 28, two weeks before the murder, the teenagers hatched a plan to lure Brianna to Linear Park, the court heard.
Brianna was not present at the park on that occasion and canceled her plans at the last minute.
Throughout the weekend, the teens continued to discuss how they were going to kill Brianna.
The judge, Mrs Justice Yip, told the jury that the boy has been diagnosed with autism since his custody and has "high levels of anxiety". His verbal communication was "very limited," she said.
The girl had also been diagnosed with "features of autism and ADHD" and anxiety, she added.
The process continues.
16:35 GMT
Court adjourned
That's all the jury will hear today. The opening of the Public Prosecution Service continues on Tuesday morning.
Our live coverage has now ended.
3:54 PM GMT
Girl X was 'obsessed with someone called Brianna', court heard
The court was told in December last year that girl
After sending him pictures of Brianna, boy Y asked, "Is he a femboy or a tranny?"
Girl X told him Brianna was transgender, sounded like a girl and looked very beautiful, the court was told.
Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, said girl
Brianna's mother Esther Ghey recalled her daughter had been ill around that time, the court heard.
3:44 PM GMT
Girl
In early December, girl
Girl X said to boy Y: "I like watching torture videos. Real ones on the dark web," the jury heard.
The court heard on January 1 that boy Y sent girl X a photo of a hunting knife and told her: "I spent my money. I bought a knife."
Ms Heer said: "It was this knife, members of the jury, that would be used to kill Brianna Ghey just six weeks after this image was sent."
3:41 PM GMT
Defendant showed 'preoccupation with torture and death'
Ms Heer said messages recovered from the phones of girl
She said: "If that wasn't an unusual way for two teenagers to talk to each other, the messages also show how over time they encouraged each other to think about how they would actually commit murder, and the messages show how they together planned to kill Brianna in the exact same way she was actually killed.
In November 2022 they discussed the murder of a child called boy M, the court heard.
In one post, Girl
"If we kill boy M, can I keep some things, some teeth and an eye."
15:29 GMT
Opening of prosecution - Brianna was 'victim of sustained and violent attack'
Opening the case at Manchester Crown Court, Deanna Heer KC said Brianna Ghey's body was found in Linear Park in Culcheth, near Warrington, on February 11 this year. reports Will Bolton.
The 16-year-old had been stabbed 28 times, in the head and neck, back and chest, and suffered "catastrophic" blood loss.
Ms Heer added: "Many of the stab wounds had caused damage to her bones, including her breastbone and her ribs, and would have required significant force.
"There can be no doubt that she was the victim of a sustained and violent attack."
Ms Heer continued: "Each defendant denies being guilty of murder. They all deny taking part in the murder at all. Each blames the other.
"The indictment states that whoever inflicted the fatal blows, both suspects are equally guilty. Together, they planned and executed their plan to kill Brianna Ghey."
15:28 GMT
Who are the suspects?
Both suspects, now aged 16, have now appeared at Manchester Crown Court for the start of their trial, which is expected to last three to four weeks. Both deny murder.
Neither suspect can be named by court order due to their age and has only been identified as girl X, from Warrington, and boy Y, from Leigh, Greater Manchester.
Both are being held in secure youth accommodation.
3:27 PM GMT
Good afternoon
The Telegraph will provide live updates as two teenagers go on trial accused of the murder of transgender teen Brianna Ghey.
Brianna, 16, was found with fatal injuries on a path in Culcheth Linear Park, near Warrington, Cheshire, on Saturday February 11 shortly after 3pm earlier this year.
A girl and a boy, both aged 15 at the time and from the area, were arrested and charged with the murder of Brianna, a student at Birchwood High School, Warrington.