Brianna Ghey's injuries not survivable, jury told

Sixteen-year-old Brianna Ghey suffered unsurvivable injuries when she was stabbed 28 times during a "sustained and violent assault", a jury has heard.

Brianna, who was transgender, was found by dog walkers in Culcheth Linear Park, Cheshire, on 11 February.

Two teenagers, identified only as girl X and boy Y, both deny murder.

Manchester Crown Court heard the knife used was "consistent" with a 12cm hunting knife found, with Brianna's blood still on it, in boy Y's bedroom.

Warning: Some readers might find the following report distressing

The trial, now in its second week, has been told girl X and boy Y had a fixation with torture, violence and death, and drew up a "kill list" of child victims.

An alleged "murder plan" to kill Brianna was found in the bedroom of girl X, who had an interest in serial killers and described herself as a "Satanist", jurors have heard.

Home Office consultant pathologist Dr Alison Armour told the jury of the results of the post-mortem examination she carried out on Brianna's body the day after her death.

It took about two hours to detail the injuries using computer-generated images.

Dr Armour said of the 28 stab wounds that 14 were to the head and neck and 14 to the chest, back and sides.

She concluded the injuries were consistent with a "sustained and violent assault" with a bladed weapon, jurors were told.

Defence injuries to Brianna's right arm and right thumb included one wound entering the bicep and exiting the outside of the arm below the shoulder, Dr Armour said.

Five "significant" injuries were also detailed to the court, with the jury hearing they resulted in wounds and damage to Brianna's left and right lungs, which were both punctured, as well as the aorta and oesophagus.

To the right-hand side of the neck there was a series of six stab wounds, one which completely severed the jugular vein and carotid artery.

This injury alone would have been sufficient to cause death from a "catastrophic haemorrhage", Dr Armour said.

Dr Armour also found damage from the weapon to Brianna's ribs, vertebrae and breast bone, implying the stab wounds were inflicted with "considerable" force, the court heard.

Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, asked the pathologist about images she had seen of the hunting knife found in boy Y's bedroom, which had a single sharp edge blade, 12cm in length.

Ms Heer said: "Is that a candidate for causing some or all of these wounds?"

"Yes, it is," Dr Armour replied.

Dr Armour said she could not exclude the possibility another knife, of similar size, could have been used to inflict the wounds - but there was no positive evidence suggesting the use of a second knife.

She told the court that from the pathology evidence it was not possible to say in which order the wounds were inflicted or whether Brianna was standing or sitting down when she was stabbed.

The trial continues.

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