The family of Scarlett Jenkinson, who was sentenced to a minimum of 22 years for the murder of Brianna Ghey, have said they are “truly sorry” for the teenage killer’s “brutal” actions and paid tribute to Brianna’s mother.
Jenkinson, described by the judge as the “driving force” behind the murder, was sentenced on Friday for what the Crown Prosecution Service said was “one of the most disturbing cases” its lawyers had ever dealt with. Her accomplice, Eddie Ratcliffe, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Both were 15 when they carried out their plan to murder Brianna, 16, in a “frenzied and ferocious” attack with a hunting knife in February last year. They were identified for the first time as they were sentenced on Friday after the judge lifted reporting restrictions.
In a statement released on Friday, Jenkinson’s family said: “All of our thoughts are for Brianna and her family.
“The last 12 months have been beyond our worst nightmares as we have come to realise the brutal truth of Scarlett’s actions. We agree with the jury’s verdict, the judge’s sentence and the decision to name the culprits.”
After the killers were convicted, Brianna’s mother, Esther Ghey, called for “empathy and compassion” for their families as “they too have lost a child” and “must live the rest of their lives knowing what their child has done”.
Jenkinson’s family, saying their lives had been left “in turmoil”, thanked Brianna’s mother for her “incredible selflessness and empathy towards our family”.
“Her compassion is overwhelming and we are forever grateful,” they said. “To all of Brianna’s family and friends, our community and everyone else that has been affected by this horror, we are truly sorry.”
Jenkinson, 16, had “enjoyed” the killing and found the thought of violence “sexually arousing”, Manchester crown court heard.
Ratcliffe had expressed transphobia in relation to the victim, Mrs Justice Yip ruled.
Yip said Jenkinson was motivated by a “deep desire to kill” and pronounced her concern on hearing that the teenager had “expressed the desire to kill again” after her conviction. After her detention, she had written a new “kill list”, which included the names of some of her carers, the court heard.
To both defendants, the judge said: “You picked Brianna because you both thought she would be an easy target.”
Yip warned the pair they may never be released if they “remain a danger”. Though Jenkinson pleaded not guilty to the murder, Manchester crown court heard that since her conviction she had admitted taking part in the stabbing, having previously blamed Ratcliffe for the murder.
Jenkinson told a psychiatrist she had stabbed Brianna “repeatedly” and had found it “exciting” because she thought Brianna would stop being her friend. She murdered Brianna so she would “always be with her”, the court heard.
Jenkinson, who was obsessed with serial killers, also admitted to the psychiatrist that she “intended to take parts of Brianna’s body as a token”. She had previously told Ratcliffe she wanted to keep Brianna’s “pretty eyes”.
The court heard that Brianna was stabbed 28 times but there was no evidence that the killers took body parts.
