news-01122024-112059

Eddie Ratcliffe, who was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 20 years for the murder of Birchwood teenager Brianna Ghey, is set to appeal his sentence next week. Along with co-defendant Scarlett Jenkinson, who was also jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years, Ratcliffe is seeking to challenge the length of his sentence.

The murder of Brianna Ghey, a transgender schoolgirl, was described as a frenzied and ferocious knife attack that took place in Culcheth Linear Park on February 11, 2023. Both Ratcliffe and Jenkinson, who were 15 at the time of the killing, had a fascination for violence, torture, and murder, and had planned the killing for weeks.

During the trial, the jury heard that Jenkinson was obsessed with Brianna, watched internet torture and killing material from the dark web, and had an interest in serial killers. They were also shown a murder plan on how to kill Brianna, as well as phone messages exchanged between Jenkinson and Ratcliffe, which included a kill list of other children they planned to harm.

Justice Amanda Yip, during the sentencing of the pair, stated that Jenkinson was motivated by a desire to kill, while Ratcliffe was partly motivated by transphobia. Both were convicted of Brianna’s murder by unanimous verdict following a four-week trial in December 2023.

The appeal to challenge Ratcliffe’s sentence will be heard by the Court of Appeal at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Thursday, December 5. Ratcliffe had applied for permission to appeal against his life sentence in March, and in April, it was confirmed that the sentences handed down to both Ratcliffe and Jenkinson had been deemed acceptable after being reviewed under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

It is important to note that the killers would only be released if the Parole Board decides that they no longer pose a danger to society. The court’s decision on Ratcliffe’s appeal will be awaited with anticipation, as it could potentially impact the length of his sentence.