Brianna killer school move 'appropriate' - coroner

A coroner has delivered her conclusions at the inquest into the death of Brianna Ghey

Schools involved with one of Brianna Ghey's killers could not have foreseen that she and her accomplice would have plotted to murder the teenager, a coroner has ruled.

Jacqueline Devonish, senior coroner for Cheshire, found the transfer of Scarlet Jenkinson to Brianna's school had been appropriately managed and had not contributed to the 16-year-old's death.

She also said Brianna’s own health had not contributed to her death, except that it had made her vulnerable to manipulation by Jenkinson.

Jenkinson, along with Eddie Radcliffe, murdered Brianna at a park in Warrington on 11 February 2023.

An earlier trial heard how she had lured Brianna to Culcheth Linear Park, where she was waiting with Ratcliffe.

The pair, both 15, were convicted of Brianna’s murder and sentenced to life in prison earlier this year.

The coroner said there had been no reason for anyone to suspect that the friendship between the two girls had been anything but genuine.

'Dark fantasies'

Brianna had been a pupil at Birchwood High School, Warrington, where she was befriended by Jenkinson.

Jenkinson had been transferred from Culcheth High School after she “spiked” a younger pupil with cannabis-laced sweets.

Following her "managed transfer" from Culcheth, where Ratcliffe was also a pupil, Jenkinson became obsessed with Brianna and began plotting her murder with Ratcliffe.

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

But these "dark fantasies" were not known to either school or any other adults, the trial heard.

The three-day inquest at Warrington Coroner’s Court examined safeguarding for all three teenagers, and how Brianna was brought into contact with Jenkinson.

But the hearing was told despite Jenkinson’s misbehaviour in school, no-one could have foreseen she was planning to murder Brianna.

'No visible signs'

Concluding the inquest, Ms Devonish said: "There was no reason for anyone to suspect the friendship was anything other than genuine.

"I found Birchwood High School offered Brianna a high standard of support within a caring environment."

She said there were no visible signs that Brianna was at risk from Jenkinson.

"She had been planning Brianna’s murder since late 2022. Eddie Ratcliffe was the only person who knew, other than Scarlett Jenkinson," Ms Devonish said.

"I found that the schools could not have reasonably foreseen that Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe would have plotted and murdered Brianna.

"It could not have, on the evidence available at the time, reasonably have been foreseen that Scarlett Jenkinson was mentally unstable so that she would kill."

Both Brianna and Jenkinson had a history of self-harm and personal issues affecting their schooling.

Jenkinson had also assaulted another pupil and turned up for class drunk and smelling of cannabis.

Brianna, who was transitioning gender, had been diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Her mother Esther Ghey said Brianna had become "immersed in darkness", falling behind in schoolwork and spending a lot of time online, garnering thousands of followers on TikTok and YouTube by posting video content.

The coroner recorded a conclusion of unlawful killing, but said there was no need for prevention of future deaths reports to be sent to either school.