A jury at Bristol Crown Court has delivered a verdict that will come as a shock to the community in Weston-super-Mare, acquitting a 16-year-old boy of both murder and manslaughter in connection with the tragic death of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe. The trial, which captivated the nation's attention, drew to a close with not guilty verdicts for both charges.
Aria Thorpe's life was cut short on 15 December 2025, when she suffered a single stab wound to her chest at her home in Weston-super-Mare. The teenager, who was just 15 at the time of the incident and cannot be named due to his age, stood trial accused of causing her death.
During the proceedings, the court heard the boy's account that he and Aria had been engaging in 'playfighting'. He claimed to have been holding a knife and leaned forward 'like I was fencing' to make her flinch, at which point she moved towards him, and the knife entered her chest. His defence barrister, Andrew Langdon KC, argued that while the boy had made 'the worst decision of his life', there was no intention to kill or cause serious harm to Aria.
The jury was also informed about the teenager's troubled past, including his expulsion from school for disruptive behaviour and truancy just hours before Aria's death. Furthermore, his phone had been confiscated by his mother, which he claimed prevented him from calling emergency services after the incident.
Emergency services were called to Aria's home after she was discovered face down on the floor shortly after 6pm GMT by Ollie Sheppard, a temporary lodger. Mr Sheppard described the house as 'silent' and 'very eerie', initially believing Aria was 'messing around' before realising her school shirt was covered in blood. Paramedics ceased resuscitation efforts at 6:58pm.
Aria's mother, Victoria Hull, recounted seeing her daughter alive for the last time eating mini-pizzas in front of the TV, appearing 'bubbly and happy' after a dance class. Their final words were 'see you after work mummy', to which Ms Hull replied, 'See you after work, love you.' Following her death, Aria's family paid heartfelt tributes, describing her as 'the most beautiful little soul', 'full of light and joy', and 'happy-go-lucky', expressing their profound devastation.