Brianna Ghey's family - Victim Personal Statements
They've spoken in court - here's there statements in full
The family of Brianna Ghey have had their say after her two killers were jailed.
Speaking in court, Brianna's mother, father, sister and step-dad all gave a victim statement.
Esther Ghey - Brianna Ghey's Mother:
"My name is Esther Ghey. I am providing this victim impact statement in relation to my daughter, Brianna Ghey.
"Brianna was an extremely vulnerable teenager. As Brianna’s mother I was constantly worried that she was putting herself in risky situations. She was diagnosed with ADHD and ASD as a teenager; with these conditions she found it extremely difficult to identify dangerous situations. Although, in this case, no one could have predicted that it was a dangerous situation for Brianna.
"This was the hardest thing for me and the rest of Brianna’s family to come to terms with. Finding out that one of the people who had been charged for her murder was someone we believed to be her friend. Someone that we trusted. Someone that I was so happy that she had, fearing that my child had been lonely. Not knowing that this person had been planning, to not only cause harm, but to take the life of my precious child. I tried to protect Brianna so much when she was putting herself in harm’s way, and I failed by allowing her to meet Scarlett on that Saturday afternoon.
"I was pleased to receive the text from Brianna on the afternoon of the 11th Feb, telling me that she was going out to meet her friend, In order to meet her, Brianna had managed to get on a bus by herself, something that was a first and a big deal for her. I had been concerned that Brianna wouldn’t be able to get herself to college due to her anxiety and this was a big breakthrough for her. I thought that she would have a wonderful time, hanging around with her friend and getting some fresh air. When all that time she was being lured to her death. All I can think about is that she would have been scared and I wasn’t there for her. She needed me to protect her, Brianna wasn’t a fighter and she must have been so terrified.
"The day of and the days following 11th of February were and always will be the worst days of my life. I felt like someone had killed part of me, like my heart had been ripped out. I have never felt such grief and I would never wish that pain on anyone else. At night, I shared my bed with Alisha as neither of us could sleep alone. I couldn’t eat and was in a complete daze, just living one day after the next. Our home was so quiet with Brianna gone.
"Whenever I went into my bedroom, I’d put my ear against the wall that divided mine and Brianna’s rooms, to try and hear her chatting and giggling on facetime to her friends, but there was only silence. When I walked through the front door, I expected her to come down the stairs to ask for a Dominoes pizza for tea but there was only silence. I would go into her bedroom to ask her where she had gone and if she was ok. It broke my heart to know that I would never get a response and I would never hear her voice again. I desperately wanted to know that she was ok and that she wasn’t alone and in pain anymore.
"The fact that Brianna was taken from me in such a heinous way causes a pain that I struggle to describe. No parent should ever have to bury their child. She should have been around for the rest of my life. Brianna had plans for her future which we will never have the chance to support her with. She wanted to go to college and study beauty therapy; she was looking forward to being old enough to have a little job like her big sister. We had also discussed her learning to drive, and she had even picked out which pink car she would like for her 18th birthday.
"When I remember the good memories that we made together it hurts so much because she’s not here anymore to remember them with me, and we will never get the chance to make more memories together. Instead, the final memories that I carry, are the memories of hearing the news that my child had been found dead; memories of identifying Brianna’s lifeless body; memories of her funeral; and now to add to that, memories of the trial where the two people responsible for Brianna’s death have cowardly pointed the finger towards each other, showing no remorse and only interested in defending themselves.
"Our lives have completely changed because of this crime. I tried to go back to work weeks after Brianna’s death but going back to my normal way of life just highlighted that she wasn’t with us. I would drive home knowing that she wouldn’t be there when I arrived. As a result, I haven’t worked since March. Brianna’s sister, Alisha, chooses to stay at her boyfriend’s house for most of the time because she feels such grief at home, it is so quiet without Brianna, and this is unbearable for her. Brianna was killed when Alisha was in college, studying for her second year of A levels. Alisha has always been a promising student who enjoyed learning and achieving, but she has struggled and decided to quit college for now. She has lost confidence in her abilities due to the time that she had off to deal with her grief, and I worry that the trauma that Alisha has experienced could negativity impact the rest of her life.
"I believe that both Scarlett and Eddie continue to be a danger to society. Their behaviour has impacted my family terribly and I would never want them to have the opportunity to carry out their sadistic fantasies on another vulnerable person. As I’ve mentioned, I have another daughter and one day I will hopefully have grandchildren. I want to help to make society a safer place for them to grow up, and the thought of Scarlett and Eddie being released from prison absolutely horrifies me. I don’t believe that someone who is so disturbed and obsessed with murder and torture would ever be able to be rehabilitated. I have moments where I feel sorry for them, because they have also ruined their own lives, but I have to remember that they felt no empathy for Brianna when they left her bleeding to death after their premeditated and vicious attack, which was carried out not because Brianna had done anything wrong, but just because one hated trans people and the other thought it would be fun."
Alisha Ghey - Brianna's older sister:
"Throughout the last year of Brianna’s life our family had a lot to worry about, she was easily influenced and putting herself into dangerous situations. The worst thing that could possibly happen, our worst anxiety came true. The memory of the night I was told we lost her has overpowered many of the happy memories I have of growing up along side Brianna.
"I will never forget the night I opened the door to the two shook up police when I was alone in my house. Brianna was always at home and I didn’t know she had left that day. When they asked me if there is anybody else in the house I said she’s in her room, when I checked and she wasn’t there my heart ached. I feel this every time I come home to Brianna not being there. After a while this became unbearable, I find being in my own home uncomfortable and lonely.
"The week of finding out she had been taken from us the house was silent. Our life had changed completely. I couldn’t sleep and all that I could think of is the missing presence of my sister. I can’t remember life without her, I haven’t been away from her for this long since before she was born. The loss of a younger sibling to something so horrific is indescribably painful, like a part of me is missing, I learnt to do everything with her and I feel that now she is gone I can’t keep growing as I did when I was with her.
"The anger and frustration of this as time went on and grew, the speculations going around further grew my anxieties of what trauma my sister was put through. I’d spend a lot of time away from home to get away from this sadness and anger and when I’d come back so would these dark feelings. I never felt alone with Brianna in the house. I would tell her everything and she would listen, not having that makes me feel more alone than ever.
"I now feel anxious. I struggle to trust new people that I meet because it was Brianna’s friend who she trusted that took her life. I worry that the same thing might happen to me, my friends or family. I have attended counselling sessions but felt that no one could understand the pain that I am going through, and no one can ever make me feel better. The only thing that would make me happy again would be if I could hear Brianna’s voice and laughter, and cuddle up on my bed watching a film together like we used to do. But I will never get my sister back and I must carry that pain for the rest of my life."
Peter Spooner - Brianna's Father:
"As Brianna’s Father, it is impossible to put into words how the murder of my child has affected me. I have been deprived of so many memories and time with her.
"Being a father of a transgender child was a difficult thing to deal with. Without people accusing me of dead naming my child, most of my memories are with my son Brett. Our memories are engraved on my heart. He was funny, cheeky and would pull faces to make me laugh. He was my baby, my only Son and his decision to transition was such a brave and confident thing to do.
"Even though I grieved the son I lost, I was proud to gain another beautiful daughter. Her appearance changed as she blossomed into a lovely young girl, her eyes were the same, she had my eyes when I looked at her. We were forming a new relationship and these two murderers have stolen that from us both.
"I hate how Brianna’s life has been brutally taken away from her and she has been deprived of the life she wanted to live. She never had the chance to sit her exams or go onto further education.
"Now my world has been torn apart, justice may have been done with the guilty verdicts, but no amount of time spent in prison will be enough for these monsters.
"I cannot call them children as that makes them sound naïve or vulnerable which they are not, they are pure evil, Brianna was the vulnerable one.
"They were determined to kill and never gave up until they had blood on their hands, my Brianna’s blood.
"Not an ounce of remorse has been shown from these murderers, putting myself and my family through this awful trial having to hear the details about how Brianna suffered. It is unforgivable.
"The impact of Brianna’s death has affected our whole family.
"Personally, this has affected me in many ways. I’ve been signed off work with personal stress until after the sentencing but I will never come to terms with the loss of my daughter. My employer has been very understanding throughout. Since the trial finished, I’ve felt in a rut and struggle some days to focus on things. It’s hard moving forward knowing I will never see my child again. Every day something will remind me of what Brianna went through that day in February 2023. Something as simple as taking the dog for a walk in a wooded area or seeing something on TV can trigger those emotions.
"I wish I wasn’t standing here reading this statement today, but if I wasn’t then there would have been another father stood here in my shoes, another child from their list would have been brutally murdered and I wouldn’t wish this terror and pain onto another person."
Wes Powell - Brianna's Step-Father:
"My name is Wes Powell. I have been Brianna’s step dad for the past 9 years.
"Throughout February and March this year our home was filled with the sound of pain filled cries and sobbing. Because on Saturday 11th February, our lives were torn apart and forever changed. Our memories will always be divided into two parts. What happened before that day and what happened after that day. The moment the police officer informed us of not only Brianna’s sudden death but also the horrific nature of her murder will always be the worst moment of our lives.
"The memories of Identifying Brianna’s lifeless body and carrying her coffin during her funeral have also been burnt into my mind and will haunt me for as long as I live.
"Brianna’s mum and sister shared a bed in the days that followed and I lied with them until they fell asleep trying to provide what little comfort and security that I could. We feared living in our own home and we feared that our family could be attacked again.
"The thought of Brianna lay face down in the dirt, terrified, in severe pain, covered in blood and all alone without her family for comfort, breaks my heart and fills me with sorrow.
"Brianna was so full of life and now our home feels empty and silent without her. The collection of memories that we have of Brianna will always remain the same and it saddens me greatly that we will never have the chance to add to that collection.
"I often sit in Brianna’s room alone trying to picture what her room used to look like. I imagine her lay on her bed texting her friends and watching TV like she always did. I try to remember what her laughter and voice sounded like which could often be heard coming from her room. But now when I look I see only an urn where Brianna should be lay.
"Last month would have been Brianna’s 17th Birthday. Instead of laughter, singing, cake and Pizza we sat in quiet contemplation. In 2 weeks time it will be our first Christmas without Brianna. Shortly after that it will be the anniversary of her murder and shortly after that the anniversary of her funeral. The cycle continues and our suffering will never end.
"I watched my partner work hard in higher education for years in order to get her dream career that she can no longer bring herself to continue. I watched Brianna’s sister work hard throughout school and college with the aim of going to university with her friends, only for this opportunity to be snatched away from her due to this trauma.
"In the months that followed Brianna’s death I attended several sessions at a men’s mental health charity support group in order to try and come to terms with what happened and deal with my emotions. It was here where I expressed feelings of guilt for failing to protect my family.
"Brianna had a large online following but in reality she was lonely, vulnerable and in need of a close friend. Both Eddie and Scarlett knew this and preyed upon her vulnerabilities acting as two predators stalking their prey.
"Their refusal of guilt has forced us through a further 4 weeks of torment. As if we have not suffered enough. During this trial, we have observed a lack of remorse, a lack of any human emotion and we have sat and listened to yet even more lies.
"Both Eddie and Scarlett claim that Brianna’s welfare was their top priority on that day. When In reality their only concern was for themselves. It has been clear from this trial that self-preservation remains their number one priority.
"Brianna did not lose her life, it was stolen from her. I do not believe that society is a better or safer place with Scarlett or Eddie in it."