Eddie Ratcliffe, one of Brianna Ghey’s killers, is set to appeal his murder conviction after being sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison.
Ratcliffe, who was 15 at the time of the crime, along with Scarlett Jenkinson, killed Brianna in a horrific attack in Linear Park, Warrington, in February last year.
The court heard that Brianna was stabbed 28 times in the head, neck, and back in what was described as a “frenzied and ferocious attack.” Both Ratcliffe and Jenkinson had created a “kill list” of five people they wanted to kill over insignificant or minor dislikes.
Jenkinson was sentenced to at least 22 years in prison, while Ratcliffe received a minimum term of 20 years. Judge Mrs. Justice Yip stated that both would be jailed until they “no longer present a danger to the public.”
Addressing Jenkinson, the judge said, “Your motivation, Scarlett, was to act out your fantasies. You wanted to see the pure horror on Brianna’s face. Two days before the murder, you said you were excited. Brianna was killed with exceptional brutality.”
Ratcliffe’s father, Kyle Ratcliffe, 36, was recently revealed to be a sex offender and was sentenced to 15 months in prison for admitting two counts of exposure and one count of taking an indecent photo of a child. He had previous convictions for similar offenses.
It remains to be seen what grounds Eddie Ratcliffe will use in his appeal. Still, given the severity of the crime and the circumstances surrounding it, the appeal process is likely to be closely watched.