A BOY accused of the “frenzied” stabbing of Birchwood schoolgirl Brianna Ghey said he thought his co-accused would blame him for the murder.

Brianna died aged 16 after being stabbed with a hunting knife 28 times in her head, neck, chest and back in Culcheth Linear Park on the afternoon of February 11.

Two teenagers, identified only as girl X, from Warrington, and boy Y, from leigh, both now aged 16 but 15 at the time, deny murder and are blaming each other for Brianna’s death, a jury at Manchester Crown Court heard. Neither can be named due to their ages.

Boy Y admitted lying to police after his arrest for murder by claiming he had never taken his hunting knife out with him, the trial heard.

But police later found it in his bedroom with his DNA on the handle and Brianna’s blood on the blade, the jury heard, and her blood was also found on his clothes and trainers.

Boy Y told the court girl X had asked him to bring the knife when they met Brianna and he handed it over to her.

He said as his back was turned girl X suddenly began to stab Brianna, the trial heard.

He told the jury he got blood on his hands after going to check on Brianna, who was bleeding, “everywhere”, adding that girl X then handed the weapon back, which he took home after they ran away from the scene.

Girl X claims boy Y did the stabbing while her back was turned.

Prosecutors allege both of them had a fascination for violence, torture and murder and had planned the killing for weeks.

Deanna Heer, prosecuting, on day 14 of the trial today, Thursday, asked boy Y: “Were you worried she might betray you? Were you worried she might tell on you?”

Boy Y said: “Tell on me for doing what?”

Ms Heer said: “For killing Brianna with her.”

Boy Y replied: “But I did not. It was X who did that, so I thought she might blame me, not betray me in the way you said.”

Ms Heer continued: “The truth is that you stabbed Brianna, didn’t you?”

“No,” boy Y replied.

Earlier, jurors heard girl X enjoyed watching internet torture and killing material from the “dark web” and had an interest in serial killers.

Both defendants had discussed a “kill list” of other children to harm and a “murder plan” on how to kill Brianna, it is alleged.

Girl X has said this was just a “dark fantasy”, and boy Y said he never thought it was serious, so he went along with her as she was “always talking about murder and nothing happens”.

Boy Y is giving his evidence by typing on a keyboard, sat behind a desk in a side room of the courtroom, with his answers spoken by an intermediary sat beside him and watched by the jury in the courtroom by videolink.

Jurors have been told boy Y has “gradually stopped speaking” to anyone apart from his mother following his arrest, and had been diagnosed with selective mutism, as well as autism spectrum disorder.

Ms Heer asked boy Y: “Having seen girl X stab Brianna, were you frightened at all?”

Boy Y said: “I do not know what the feeling of fear feels like physically.”

Ms Heer asked: “Is the truth you took your knife to Culcheth in order to stab Brianna?”

“No,” boy Y replied.

He denied any animosity towards Brianna because she was transgender, despite asking if Brianna was a “femboy or a tranny” and referring to her as an “it.”

Ms Heer asked: “Did you think that Brianna was somehow less important than you? Did you think that because she was transgender you were entitled to hurt her?”

“No,” the boy replied.

The trial continues.

Cheshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service remind everyone that criminal proceedings against both defendants are active, and that they have the right to a fair trial.

It is extremely important that there should be no commenting or sharing of information or speculation which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.

Due to their age, reporting restrictions are in place for both defendants, entitling them to anonymity, as well as other children involved in the evidence.