Aria Thorpe, a nine-year-old girl from Weston-super-Mare, was brutally stabbed in an incident that has left her family and community reeling. As the teenager accused of her murder and manslaughter stands trial at Bristol Crown Court, it is revealed that the fatal event unfolded as part of a disturbing 'play hunting' game.
Prosecutor Ray Tully KC outlined to the jury how the defendant had been 'playing hunting' with Aria on 15 December last year. In this twisted scenario, the teenager allegedly held a knife and pretended to stab her, expecting her to flinch in response. However, instead of merely startling her, he inflicted a single, fatal wound that pierced her heart and punctured her lung - a blow that would have required 'mild force' to inflict.
Following the attack, the teenager's actions took a chilling turn as he walked to a nearby railway station where he made disturbing admissions to young people. He reportedly stated, 'You'll see it on the news later', before claiming, 'I was playing around with a knife. [She] walked into the knife. I accidentally stabbed her with a really big knife.' He also expressed remorse and confusion, saying, 'I'm a murderer. I accidentally killed someone. I'm done for... why have I done this?'
As officers arrived at the scene, the teenager boarded a train but was subsequently found on the floor of the final carriage and arrested. During police questioning, he later expressed regret for stabbing Aria, although this expression of remorse did not feature in his initial statements to detectives.
In a prepared statement, the boy described the events leading up to Aria's death: 'I grabbed a knife and stabbed her in the chest. I didn't use a lot of force, but it was a big knife. I don't know why I did it, it just happened. I walked over and stabbed her. She fell to the floor. I left and went to the train station to get a train and to get away. I wish I hadn't done it.'