Brianna Ghey: The 'fearless' teenager who dared to be different... and the extraordinary outpouring of grief in the wake of her murder

'She was a larger than life character who would leave a lasting impression on all that met her'

As Andy Burnham stood with his daughter in a village he knows so well, he was just one of thousands of people across the UK to become part of an extraordinary movement of remembrance - and defiance. A small village, where some properties can fetch up to £1m, Culcheth seemed to be an unlikely setting for such an unspeakable crime.

The murder of Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old transgender girl, in a part of the world the mayor of Greater Manchester spent much of his youth, touched the hearts and minds of people up and down the land. He was one of about 1,000 people to attend a candlelit vigil in the village held in Brianna’s honour, with similar events being organised in Manchester and right across the UK.

Sadly, the village is not unfamiliar with tragedy. It hit the headlines after Anthony Grainger, an unarmed robbery suspect, was shot dead by a GMP marksman in a car park in the village in 2012. In February, Brianna Ghey’s murder, in the village’s Linear Park, sent shockwaves across the country.

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News of a serious incident in the village’s Linear Park began to emerge on the evening of Saturday, February 11. Once the site of a busy railway line, connecting Culcheth to Manchester and beyond, since it was cleared in the 1960s the park has become a magnet for dog walkers and families.

That Saturday appeared to be just another day. But on a cool, crisp winter’s afternoon, the park became a scene of horror. Brianna was lured to her death by a girl she thought was her friend, and stabbed 28 times in a frenzied, barbaric attack.

Dressed in a white fluffy jacket, knee length white socks and a tartan skirt, Brianna stood out from the crowd. Anyone who saw her that day remembered her.

Rumours began to swirl online about the nature of the killing. Before Brianna was publicly identified, there was unfounded gossip that an escaped prisoner from nearby Risley prison was responsible.

It was the following day that the heartbreaking news was confirmed. A 16-year-old girl had been killed in a ‘targeted’ attack. Residents in the sleepy village were dumbfounded by the news. "We're really quite taken aback,” one woman told the Manchester Evening News at the time.

"It's a lovely place to be and this is a quiet community where people keep themselves to themselves." "Seeing such a terrible incident take place in the place you spent hours as a child playing and growing up is quite upsetting and shocking,” another local said.

Then came the news that Brianna Ghey had been identified as the victim. She had left her home in Birchwood on February 11 to take the bus to Culcheth. At 12.45pm, she texted her mum to say she was leaving the house. “Dogs are locked up,” she said. It would be the last message Brianna sent her.

Just two days later, her mum, Esther Ghey, and the family had to grapple with an unthinkable task. How do you pay tribute to your murdered child?

They described Brianna as 'beautiful, witty and hilarious', and said her death had created a 'massive hole' in their family following her death. "Brianna was a much loved daughter, granddaughter, and baby sister,” their statement issued by police read.

"She was a larger than life character who would leave a lasting impression on all that met her. Brianna was beautiful, witty and hilarious. Brianna was strong, fearless and one of a kind.

"The loss of her young life has left a massive hole in our family, and we know that the teachers and her friends who were involved in her life will feel the same."

Brianna’s school also issued a tribute to her. Emma Mills, the head teacher of Birchwood Community High School, said: “We are shocked and truly devastated to hear of the death of Brianna.

“This is understandably a very difficult and distressing time for many and we will do our utmost to support our pupils and wider school community.”

As well as tributes coming from those close to her, friends from far and wide revealed the positive impact Brianna made to their lives.

She was a regular user of TikTok, and had built up a vast following of more than 30,000 people. Brianna would post lip-syncing videos of her miming to songs, or trying on different outfits.

Brianna's mum Esther said her daughter was 'fearless to be whoever she wanted to be', adding: "She wanted to identify as a female and she wanted to wear girl’s school uniform and yeah she just did it. It wasn’t a hurdle at all for her.

The mother recalled the moment, before any conviction, two policemen told her that they had found a body. “I sort of joked and said that if Brianna doesn’t come home soon I’ll probably have to ring the police,” she added.

“I got to the front door and the front door was open and it was two policemen stood in the house. And they said that they’d found a body and I remember the first thing that I said to him was that I knew, I knew, that something was going to happen.”

Brianna Ghey's headteacher said the teenager 'didn’t live her life as a victim'. Emma Mills said: "There was never any evidence of Brianna being bullied within school or out of school.

"Brianna was very much able to give as good as she got in that way. And I think what was really hard was that she was portrayed in the media as a victim and she didn’t live her life as a victim.

“She was someone that was loud and proud and confident in who she was.”