Eddie Ratcliffe to appeal to challenge Brianna Ghey murder sentence

Eddie Ratcliffe, now aged 17, was jailed for life in February, with a minimum term of 20 years, for his role in the murder of the transgender schoolgirl.

The killing of Brianna, a Birchwood High School pupil, was described as a ‘frenzied and ferocious’ knife attack.

The 16-year-old was lured to Culcheth Linear Park on February 11, 2023, where she was subjected to a ‘brutal and sadistic’ murder involving a hunting knife.

Also jailed for life was co-defendant Scarlett Jenkinson, now aged 17, with her minimum term set at 22 years.

But Ratcliffe, of Leigh, now seeks the green light to challenge the length of his sentence.

Scarlett Jenkinson was also jailed for life

This will be heard by the Court of Appeal, at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, on Thursday, December 5.

Ratcliffe applied for permission to appeal against his life sentence in March, with the court confirming at the time that the appeal had been received.

In April, it was also confirmed that the sentences handed down to both Ratcliffe and Jenkinson, of Culcheth, had been deemed ‘acceptable’.

This came after both jail terms were referred to the Attorney General to be reviewed under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

However, the sentences were not deemed to be lenient, and as such were 'acceptable' and not referred to the Court of Appeal for extension.

The killers were convicted in December 2023 of Brianna’s murder by unanimous verdict following a four-week trial.

Brianna Ghey was murdered in Culcheth Linear Park

The trial heard that the pair, aged 15 at the time of the killing, had a ‘fascination for violence, torture and murder’ and had planned the killing for weeks.

Jurors heard Jenkinson was ‘obsessed’ with Brianna, enjoyed watching internet torture and killing material from the ‘dark web’ and had an interest in serial killers.

The jury was also shown a ‘murder plan’ on how to kill Brianna, along with phone messages Jenkinson and Ratcliffe exchanged, including a ‘kill list’ of other children they planned to harm.

During the sentencing of the pair, Justice Amanda Yip said Jenkinson was motivated by a desire to kill, and Ratcliffe in part by transphobia.

Manchester Crown Court heard how the pair would only be released if the Parole Board decided that they no longer pose a danger.