A teenage girl accused of murdering Brianna Ghey has told a jury she was attracted to the 16-year-old and found the idea of killing her “exciting”.

Warning: The following story contains girl X’s description of how she felt about Brianna and the fact she was transgender.

Brianna was stabbed 28 times in her head, neck, chest and back with a hunting knife after being lured to Linear Park, in Culcheth, near Warrington, on February 11.

Girl X and boy Y, who were both 15 at the time and cannot be identified because of their age, are on trial at Manchester Crown Court, where they deny murdering Brianna, from Birchwood, in Warrington.

Girl X, now 16, admitted she had an interest in torture and fantasised about killing someone together with her co-accused, who is also now 16.

Under cross-examination from prosecutor Deanna Heer KC today, she agreed she “liked the idea of having power over somebody” and “being able to cause them pain and suffering”.

The court has heard she sent messages to boy Y saying she was “obsessed” with Brianna “but didn’t have feelings” for her, telling the jury: “I sent pictures of Brianna because I did find her quite attractive.”

Girl X said she knew her co-accused didn’t like people who were transgender and said he referred to Brianna as “it”.

“I’m not sure exactly what his problem was. I just know he didn’t agree with people who were trans or people who were gay either,” she said.

“Even though he didn’t agree with people who were trans I thought he would be understanding in a way.”

She said “I’m not sure” why she began to fantasise about killing Brianna, telling the jury: “I just get random thoughts. I don’t know why I get them or where it comes from.”

She added: “It’s mainly with people I don’t like but not always. Sometimes it can be with people I do actually like and I still fantasise about it.”

Ms Heer asked her: “Did you find the idea of killing Brianna, who you were attracted to, exciting?”

“I guess so, yes,” girl X replied.

The prosecutor continued: “Did you want to kill her because she was transgender?”

“No,” she said.

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Girl X has insisted she had no intention of acting out the discussions she had with boy Y about killing Brianna but his barrister Richard Littler KC suggested: “You stabbed Brianna and you turned your fantasy into reality?”

She denied the claim and has told jurors she had left her co-accused and Brianna, before hearing screaming, then turning round to see boy Y stabbing Brianna.

His case is that it was girl X who stabbed her when he went to urinate behind a tree.

The trial continues.

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