Brianna Ghey’s mother ‘knew something like this was going to happen’ after death

Brianna Ghey showed “very early signs of hyperactivity”, her mother has said.

In a statement read to the court by the senior coroner, Esther Ghey said: “Brianna met all her milestones, but in hindsight, there were very eary signs of hyperactivity, even at nursery.”

However, Ms Ghey described her daughter as “mischievous, funny and outgoing” in her younger years and having many friends. “All my friends were charmed by her, and she always seemed drawn to women,” she said. “She was so loving and always wanting to give out hugs.”

Brianna’s “high energy levels” continued into her later school years, Ms Ghey told the court, adding that she was always being called into school.

Esther Ghey has said that when the police came to her house to tell her her daughter Brianna had died that she “just knew something like this was going to happen because it was such a dark time for everyone”.

In a statement read to the court by the senior coroner, Ms Ghey said: “When the police came to the house, I just knew something like this was going to happen because it was such a dark time for everyone.

“I can’t believe the change that Brianna went through. When she was little, she was such a bundle of joy, but in her teenage years she was immersed in darkness. It sometimes feels like I’m grieving two different people.”

The senior coroner has outlined the key issues that the inquest into Brianna’s death will look at.

Cheshire’s Senior Coroner Jacqueline Devonish listed to told the court the following issues that will be consider:

• The teenager’s previous medical history
• Whether Brianna’s behaviour and mental health had been appropriately supported by relevant agencies, including her eating disorder, gender transition, and CAMS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)
• Brianna’s engagement with Birchwood High School, looking specifically at behaviour and attendance
• The “appropriateness and thoroughness” of decision-making relating to Scarlett Jenkinson’s transfer from Culcheth High School to Birchwood High School
• Whether it could be “reasonably foreseen” that Brianna may have been placed at risk by being in the inclusion room. The coroner added: “So we’ll look at the risk assessment of the managed move of Scarlett to Birchwood High School.”
• Whether Birchwood High School was appropriately placed to mange Brianna and Scarlett together in light of their histories and safeguarding measures
• Safeguarding and education oversight by Wigan Council and Warrington Council

The inquest into Brianna Ghey’s death is set to consider whether there were any “missed opportunities”.

Cheshire’s Senior Coroner Jacqueline Devonish told the court the probe will also, more widely, look at any measures to prevent future deaths.

Interested persons named in the inquest into Brianna Ghey’s death include her school and a school that has been attended by both of her killers, Cheshire’s Senior Coroner Jacqueline Devonish has told the court.

As the probe into the teenager’s death got underway this morning, Cheshire Coroner’s Court heard an introduction from a representative of Birchwood High School, which was the teenager’s school, and was where Scarlett Jenkinson transferred to in the months before murdering Brianna.

The court also heard an introduction from a representative of Culcheth High School, which was Jenkinson’s previous school, and was also attended by her accomplice Eddie Ratcliffe.

A representative of the children services department of Warrrington Council also introduced themselves to the court.

The inquest into Brianna Ghey’s death has got underway at Cheshire Coroner’s Court this morning.

The three-day probe into the 16-year-old’s death will run from Wednesday until Friday in front of Senior Coroner Jacqueline Devonish at the court in Warrington.

Brianna’s father Peter Spooner is among those in attendance.

Young killers Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe were jailed for life in February for murdering trans teenager Brianna Ghey.

Jenkinson and Ratcliffe, both 16, were handed minimum terms of 22 and 20 years before parole, respectively.

The pair carried out the “disturbing” plan to murder 16-year-old Brianna in a “frenzied and ferocious” knife attack the previous February.

The judge said the murder was “brutal” and “sadistic” and that a secondary motive was Brianna’s trans identity.

Both aged 15 at the time, they were identified for the first time as they were sentenced after a senior judge lifted a ban on the press naming them.

“Sadistic” killer Scarlett Jenkinson’s placement in a classroom alongside vulnerable trans teenager Brianna Ghey will be investigated at the inquest into her death, a court previously heard.

Brianna had been a pupil at Birchwood High School, Warrington, where she was befriended by Jenkinson after the killer had transferred from Culcheth High School following an incident where pupils were given cannabis-laced sweets.

Following her “managed transfer” from Culcheth, where Ratcliffe was a pupil, within weeks Jenkinson became obsessed by Brianna and began plotting her murder with Ratcliffe.

From age 14, Jenkinson had enjoyed watching videos of real killing and torture on the dark web, fantasised about murder and developed an interest in serial killers, her murder trial heard.

At a pre-inquest hearing at Warrington Coroner’s Court in April, Jacqueline Devonish, senior coroner for Cheshire, outlined the scope of the inquest, which is opening today.

Ms Devonish said: “I think essentially, matters around safeguarding that we are going to be concerned with.

“How it is Brianna was brought into contact with Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe. In my view, that’s the starting point, and we know that the schools will have information around that, and that’s where we are going with this investigation.

“Whether it could reasonably have been foreseen that Brianna might have been placed at risk in the inclusion room with Scarlett Jenkinson.

“Whether Birchwood High School was appropriately placed to manage Brianna and Scarlett Jenkinson together in light of their histories and safeguarding considerations.”

Ms Devonish said the inquest will examine the “appropriateness or thoroughness” of the decision around the school transfer, along with Brianna’s behaviour and mental health.

The coroner also said she will also examine whether Brianna was appropriately supported by relevant agencies involved with supporting people with issues of gender, eating disorders and mental health. Agencies named at the hearing included the Gender GP counselling service and the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS).