Brianna Ghey killers Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe named after 'frenzied' murder of teenager

The two teenage killers of teenager Brianna Ghey have today been publicly named.

Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, both 16-years-old, were found guilty of the murder of Brianna, also 16, following a four-week trial at Manchester Crown Court in December. The pair, who were previously referred to in court as Girl X and Boy Y, were only 15-years-old when they carried out a "disturbing plan" which ended in a "frenzied and ferocious" knife attack on Brianna at Linear Park, Culcheth on February 11, 2023. They were previously warned that their crime could warrant a mandatory life order.

The court heard during the trial of the two teenagers that Jenkinson and Ratcliffe were both intelligent, "high functioning" and came from normal backgrounds. Jenkinson had been diagnosed with traits of autism and ADHD, while Ratcliffe had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and who is non-verbal. However, the court also heard that the pair has shared a fascination for violence, torture and a "thirst for killing".

Police found a murder plan handwritten by Jenkinson and phone messages between the two in which they discuss plans to target Brianna. Jenkinson downloaded a TOR internet browser to access the dark web when she was just 14-years-old, using the browser to watch videos of torture and murder.

Jenkinson is said to have had a interest in serial killers and studied their methods in-depth. She along with Ratcliffe drew up a "kill list" of four others they had considered killing before Brianna befriended Jenkinson after Jenkinson moved to her school.

The pair lured Brianna to the park, with Jenkinson telling Ratcliffe prior to the meeting that she wanted to stab and kill Brianna "jus coz its fun lol… I want to see the pure horror on her face and hear her scream”. She also reminded Ratcliffe to bring his 13cm hunting knife to the park with him, as well as chillingly telling Brianna that she wouldn't need a return ticket for the bus.

Brianna was struck with Ratcliffe's hunting knife at around 3pm, before the pair launched the "frenzied" attack. Brianna suffered from 28 stab wounds, including on are arms and hands from when she attempted to protect herself.

Both of the killers then went home and carried on as normal. Jenkinson later posted on social media to pay tribute to Brianna: “Brianna was one of the best people I have ever met and such an amazing friend it’s so f****** sickening what got done to her.” The pair were arrested one hour later.

Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, told the court at Manchester Crown Court that Jenkinson had since made "admissions" relating to Brianna's death during conversations with a psychiatrist following her conviction. Ms Heer said: “She said effectively, she said that at the time of the killing she had in fact administered stab wounds herself.

“She had snatched the knife from Eddie’s hand and stabbed Brianna repeatedly. She said Eddie had thrown Brianna to the floor and stabbed her three or four times then he panicked and said he did not want to kill her, so she carried on and stabbed her a number of times. When asked how many, she answered, ‘A lot.’ She was satisfied and excited by what she was doing.”

Rishi Sunak's official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister’s thoughts are with Brianna’s family and friends and loved ones, and obviously the hurt they feel is unimaginable. The PM shares the country’s horror at this despicable and cowardly murder. We'd commend Brianna’s mother for her courage and dignity. She’s been able to speak about the importance of empathy and compassion, which is remarkable in a case like this.”