Mum meets parents of killer who stabbed her teen daughter Brianna Ghey to death
The mother of Brianna Ghey has held an emotional meeting with the mum of one of her daughter’s killers and told how they too are coping with losing a child.
Brianna, 16, was stabbed to death by teenagers Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, who were both jailed for life last month.
After their sentencing, Brianna’s mum Esther Ghey, 37, said she would be willing to meet Jenkinson’s mother, Emma Sutton, 49. And last week, the two women sat down together, with Esther revealing: “It was emotional. I’m really glad we had a meeting. What happened has impacted their family massively, just as it has impacted mine. They have lost a child and they have also got to live with what has happened for the rest of their life.”
Esther also revealed that she feels no anger or hatred towards her daughter’s murderers, who stabbed Brianna 28 times with a hunting knife in February last year. She went on: “I genuinely don’t feel any of those emotions towards Scarlett’s parents and I don’t feel that towards Scarlett. All of these emotions, like hate, are only going to impact me.”
Brianna and mum Esther“I could either take what has happened and hide away, crippled with hate, wanting revenge, or I can try and take a more positive approach and make something good out of an absolutely horrific situation. I choose the latter. I don’t want to be a victim. I don’t want this to impact the rest of my life and stop me from progressing and being productive and hopefully making a change in society. Things happen and you can either use them as a lesson or they can break you. I won’t be broken.”
Man in 30s dies after being stabbed in park sparking police probe
Esther praised Emma’s bravery in coming forward to meet her. She said: “We spoke about very personal things and she was very open with me and so respectful. Coming to see me shows a great deal of bravery on her part. It was important for me to understand how they were as a family and what she has been going through. Both of us are mothers trying to navigate something that nobody should ever have gone through.”
Eddie Ratcliffe (Cheshire Constabulary/AFP via Ge)
Scarlett Jenkinson (Cheshire Constabulary/AFP via Ge)Esther, from Birchwood in Warrington, Cheshire, is campaigning to have mindfulness taught in schools and to have restrictions placed on the use of mobile phones by children. And she said Emma may also become involved.
She said: “I would like her to join me and do something positive. It would be good for her healing.” Yesterday, the Sunday Mirror revealed how Esther had visited the Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary in nearby Liverpool to spell out her plans.
She met pupils aged four to 11 who have benefited from weekly mindfulness lessons for five years. Joining a class of Year 2 pupils, Esther learned more about how the practice can help children to feel happier and healthier.
Esther at a school in Liverpool (Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)In a statement after the meeting in Warrington with Emma last Tuesday, Esther added: “The tragedy last year has affected so many, and changed so many lives. We lost our beautiful Brianna, but Scarlett’s family’s lives have been changed forever too. I wanted to sit down with Scarlett’s family to find out how the last year affected them. It was a positive and respectful meeting which allowed us to initially get to know each other.”
Brianna had been lured to a park in nearby Culcheth by Jenkinson and Ratcliffe, then both 15. Jenkinson, of Culcheth, and Ratcliffe, of Leigh, Greater Manchester, were arrested the next day. After a five-week trial, the pair were found guilty of murder by a jury last December.
Last month the pair, now 16, were sentenced to life, with Jenkinson told she would serve at least 22 years and Ratcliffe a minimum of 20. Ratcliffe has asked for permission to appeal against his sentence.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
