Teenagers jailed for ‘exceptionally brutal’ murder of Brianna Ghey

Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe were partly motivated by 16-year-old victim’s transgender identity, judge says

The teenage pair who murdered Brianna Ghey have been sentenced to life in prison for an “exceptionally brutal” killing partly motivated by her transgender identity.

Scarlett Jenkinson, who was described by the judge as the “driving force” behind the murder, was sentenced to a minimum of 22 years for what the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said was “one of the most disturbing cases” their lawyers had ever dealt with.

Eddie Ratcliffe, a quiet and studious former champion kickboxer, was given 20 years for killing Brianna, an “out and proud” transgender girl who hoped to become a beauty therapist.

The pair, both 16, were named for the first time before the sentencing after the judge lifted reporting restrictions.

Sentencing, Mrs Justice Yip said: “You both took part in a brutal and planned murder which was sadistic in nature and where a secondary motive was hostility towards Brianna because of her transgender identity.”

She said Jenkinson was motivated by a “deep desire to kill”, and pronounced her concern on hearing that the teenager had “expressed the desire to kill again” after her conviction. She had written a new “kill list” since her detention, which included the names of some of her carers, the court heard