A 16-year-old girl died in the English city of Leeds after being stabbed by an 18-year-old. According to the investigation, the attack is believed to have followed a conflict linked to a romantic relationship between them.
Chloe Dransfield is alleged to have been stabbed five times in the back and neck by Kayla Smith. At Leeds Crown Court, claims were heard that the meeting had been planned in advance and that Blake Dowling, 18, who had been in a relationship with both girls, may also have been involved in arranging it.
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Prosecutor Mark McKone said that, before the incident, the girls had exchanged messages and threats. During a FaceTime conversation, Smith allegedly told Chloe: “I’ll stick a knife in your throat.” According to the prosecution, Chloe replied that she was not afraid of her.
The prosecution alleges that Dowling drove Smith to the place where Chloe was, despite knowing that there was hostility between them. A few minutes before the attack, the 18-year-old allegedly wrote to people close to her that she would stab her rival.
Security cameras recorded Smith leaving the house at around 5:10 a.m. She was wearing pajamas and carrying a shiny object, which the prosecution identifies as a knife.
Also present at the scene was 20-year-old Archie Rycroft. According to the charge, he followed Smith, tried to film the confrontation, encouraged her to use violence and stayed beside her during the conflict.
After the attack, Smith and Rycroft returned to her home. The court heard that when Smith’s grandfather mentioned that he would call the police, she told him that Chloe was dead. An ambulance was called at 5:48 a.m., around 37 minutes after the stabbing.
Chloe was rushed to hospital, where she died at 6:40 a.m.
Dowling is accused of helping to arrange the confrontation by taking Smith there so that she could physically confront Chloe. Rycroft, for his part, is accused of encouraging the violence and trying to record it on his phone.
Smith admits stabbing the 16-year-old and causing the fatal injury, but denies intending to kill her or cause serious harm. She has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, while denying the charge of murder.
