Brianna Ghey: Boy and girl in court charged with murder

A boy and girl, both aged 15, have appeared in court charged with murdering 16-year-old Brianna Ghey who was stabbed to death in a village park.

The transgender schoolgirl was found lying wounded on a path in Linear Park in Culcheth, Cheshire, on Saturday.

Her family said she was a "much loved" daughter, granddaughter, and sister.

The girl, of Warrington, and boy, of Leigh, appeared at Chester Magistrates' Court and were remanded into youth detention.

They are due to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday.

The pair, who appeared separately and spoke only to confirm their name, address and age, were not required to enter pleas to the charge.

Both were supported by their parents in court, and were flanked by one dock officer throughout the hearing.

Cheshire Police initially said there was no evidence that Brianna's killing was hate related but on Tuesday detectives said all lines of inquiry were "being explored", including hate crime.

Officers, who had been given extra time to question the two teenagers, later charged them with murder.

Candlelit vigils, organised by members of the transgender community, were held for Brianna on Tuesday in Liverpool and Bristol.

Further vigils are due to take place in cities around the UK later, including Manchester, Glasgow and Leeds.

Brianna's family, who are from Birchwood in Warrington, said she was "beautiful, witty and hilarious".

They said she was "strong, fearless and one of a kind" with a "larger-than-life character".

"The loss of her young life has left a massive hole in our family", they added.

Members of the public found Brianna with stab wounds and called emergency services just after 15:00 GMT on Saturday, Cheshire Police said.

Detectives earlier said a post-mortem examination was taking place to establish the cause of death.

Extra police patrols have been sent to the area, which is a well-known dog-walking spot.

Friends have left flowers and other tributes at the entrance of the park. One read: "Fly high our pink angel".

Tributes have also been paid to Brianna on social media and in particular Tik Tok, where she had a huge following.

People from the transgender community have described her social media content as a great support, with one online friend saying she "stuck up for me, and listened to my rants when I needed it the most".

Another tweeted that "she was always so sweet to me" and one message described her as a "sweet angel" and a "beautiful girl".

"I knew of her through Tik Tok... utterly lost for words... my heart aches for her," another added.

Donations on a GoFundMe crowdfunding page set up for Brianna's family, which said the schoolgirl was "looking forward to taking her exams this year", have passed £85,000.

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