30 November 2023 , 14:10
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A dog walker who called 999 after finding the body of Brianna Ghey thought they had found "a dummy" at first, a court has heard.
Brianna, 16, from Birchwood, Warrington, was stabbed 28 times with a hunting knife in Culcheth Linear Park, near Warrington, on February 11 earlier this year.
A girl and a boy, both now aged 16, identified only as X and Y, are on trial for murder at Manchester Crown Court. Both have pleaded not guilty and blame each other for the killing, the jury has heard. Neither defendant can be named because of their ages.
A dog walker who found Brianna's body told Manchester Crown Court that she 'thought she was a dummy at first' (MEN Media)
Peter Spooner, father of Brianna Ghey, arriving with his partner at Manchester Crown Court (PA)At Manchester Crown Court on Thursday, jurors listened to a 999 call made by at 3.13pm by dog walker Kathryn Vize who was in the park. She told the operator that she was in Culcheth Linear Park and said that 'somebody has been attacked'. "I've seen the attackers run away," she said. "I think they're the attackers. She's very hurt. We need an ambulance and police and you probably need an air ambulance because of where she is."
The operator asked: "What's happened?". Mrs Vize said: "I don't know, she is half way down some stairs. She is bleeding heavily. The attackers have run towards Culcheth Linear car park. I can describe them clearly to you because I was really suspicious of them. She is bleeding. She has a lot of blood on her legs, she has a lot of blood on her back. She is really hurt. I thought it was a dummy at first.”
Girl, 16, stabbed to death in park - and police want to speak to man and woman
Mrs Vize continued: “I don’t want anyone to see it. It’s awful. Oh god. It’s like one of those nightmares.” "When did you think this happened?", the operator asked. Mrs Vize said: "Literally just as I rang you. I saw them running off." The operator also asked her whether she could carry out CPR, to which she said: "I don't think there's anything you can do for her. I don't really think there is."
Brianna was pronounced dead at the scene at 4.02pm. Yesterday, the jury of seven men and five women were played Ring doorbell camera footage which showed Brianna leaving her home in the Birchwood area of the town at around 12.45pm the same day. The footage shows the schoolgirl on her phone as she pulls her front door shut, wearing a white hoodie, black skirt and knee-high white socks and carrying a bag over one shoulder. Still on her phone she walks down the path to the gate, then opens it and heads out, still texting as she passes out of sight of the camera.
The trial, before Mrs Justice Yip, continues. It is expected to last three to four weeks in total.