A man who discovered a nine-year-old girl lying injured in her Weston-super-Mare home initially believed she was 'messing around' before realising the devastating extent of her injuries. Ollie Sheppard, who was temporarily staying at Aria Thorpe's residence, recounted to Bristol Crown Court how he found the girl face down and covered in blood on 15 December, prompting him to call 999 and attempt CPR.
Jurors were informed that a post-mortem examination revealed Aria had sustained a single stab wound to the chest, which would have led to her death 'very swiftly'. A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is currently on trial, facing charges of murder and manslaughter, both of which he denies.
Sheppard described entering Aria's home after work at approximately 18:03 GMT, noting the house felt 'cold' and 'silent'. He observed a kitchen drawer wide open and encountered an obstruction from a cupboard door under the stairs. After pushing his way through, he found Aria on the floor by the stairs. When asked by prosecutor Ray Tully KC about his initial reaction, Sheppard stated he thought she was 'messing around'. He explained that he then 'put two and two together' upon seeing blood on her arm and school top, noting that due to the dark carpet and hard flooring, not much blood was immediately visible.
Following his discovery, Sheppard attempted to contact Aria's mother, who was at work and did not answer, before dialling 999. The court also heard from neighbour Ashley Mansell, who testified to hearing a male shouting 'no, no, noes' in a tone of 'disbelief' around the time of the incident, describing it as an 'unusual thing to hear'. Shortly after, Mansell's attention was drawn to blue flashing lights.
Detective Constable Charlie Cook informed the court that the defendant was later apprehended on a train as it was preparing to depart Worle Railway Station. Phone records and CCTV footage showed the defendant walking to the station post-incident and engaging with 'several young people' for 12 minutes in a shelter near the platform before boarding. During this interaction, the defendant 'appeared to re-enact or show others what had happened', according to Cook. The trial continues.