By David Young-
Two teenagers will go on trial in July charged with the “extremely brutal and punishing” murder of the transgender girl Brianna Ghey, a court has been told.
The boy and girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons because of their age, appeared via video link for a brief hearing at Liverpool crown court on Thursday.
The girl, from Warrington, and boy, from Leigh, are both charged with murdering Brianna, 16, who was found with fatal stab wounds in a park near Warrington on Saturday afternoon.
Brianna’ was found by members of the public with fatal stab wounds in Culcheth Linear Park at shortly after 3pm on Saturday 12 February. Authorities were called to the park but Brianna died at the scene from her injuries.
The two teenagers have been remanded in a youth detention centre. A plea and trial preparation hearing will take place on 2 May.
Police believe her murder may ghave been a hate crime.
It comes as vigils for Brianna, who was from Warrington, were held in Bristol and Liverpool. Another group of a couple hundred people gathered in London, where flowers and a sign reading ‘RIP Brianna’ was left at the door of the Department for Education building.
The teenagers were both accompanied by an adult as they appeared over video link from youth detention accommodation, where they have been remanded into custody.
Judge Aubrey KC said a provisional trial date had been set for 10 July. A pre-trial hearing has been provisionally listed for 2 May.
The mothers of the defendants looked tearful as they sat in the public gallery of the wood-panelled courtroom, opposite more than a dozen members of the press.
The court was told that a second postmortem is expected to be carried out on Brianna, who was found by members of the public with fatal stab wounds on a path in Culcheth Linear Park at about 3.13pm on Saturday.
Addressing the teenagers, Aubrey told them: “In the meantime, I’m satisfied that the necessary conditions apply in your case. There are no representations to the contrary at this stage of the proceedings and so it is that each of you will be remanded into youth detention accommodation.
“As far as both of you are concerned, that now completes this case.”
Vigils have been held in Brianna’s memory across the UK this week, with one event attracting hundreds of people outside the Department for Education building in London on Wednesday night.
The prosecutor, Leanne Gallagher, on Wednesday told Chester magistrates court, sitting as a youth court, that Brianna’s death was “extremely brutal and punishing”.
In a tribute issued after Brianna’s death, her family said the teenager was a “much-loved daughter, granddaughter, and baby sister”.
The statement continued: “She was a larger-than-life character who would leave a lasting impression on all that met her. Brianna was beautiful, witty and hilarious. Brianna was strong, fearless and one of a kind. The loss of her young life has left a massive hole in our family, and we know that the teachers and her friends who were involved in her life will feel the same.”
Cheshire constabulary’s senior investigating officer in the case revealed on Thursday night Brianna’s family had been “overwhelmed by the messages of support”.
DCI Adam Waller said: “I would like to pass on my sincere thanks to the community of Culcheth for their support in relation to the investigation.
“We have been inundated with pieces of information from members of the community wanting to help and assist the inquiry. Many of our officers have been approached to offer their best wishes to us and, especially, to Brianna’s family.
“I know that the family have also been overwhelmed by the messages of support, positivity and the compassion across the country and beyond – and the thoughts of everyone at the constabulary remains firmly with them.”
A GoFundMe crowdfunding page that was set up to help Brianna’s family has passed £90,000 just three days after it was launched