Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Brianna Ghey’s mother pays tribute to ‘fearless’ daughter

Esther Ghey was speaking after a boy and a girl were found guilty of murdering the transgender 16-year-old in Cheshire in February this year.

Ellie Ng
Wednesday 20 December 2023 17:11 GMT
Esther Ghey described her daughter as fearless (Peter Byrne/PA)
Esther Ghey described her daughter as fearless (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)

Brianna Ghey has been remembered for her fearlessness to be “whoever she wanted to be” in a tribute from her mother.

The transgender 16-year-old was stabbed with a hunting knife in Linear Park, Culcheth, a village near Warrington, Cheshire, on the afternoon of February 11.

A boy and a girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have been found guilty by a jury of the “disturbing” murder.

She was fearless to be whoever she wanted to be. She wanted to identify as a female and she wanted to wear girl’s school uniform and yeah she just did it. It wasn’t a hurdle at all for her

Brianna's mother, Esther Ghey

Brianna’s mother, Esther Ghey, spoke of her daughter’s bravery.

She told the BBC: “She was fearless to be whoever she wanted to be.

“She wanted to identify as a female and she wanted to wear girl’s school uniform and yeah she just did it.

“It wasn’t a hurdle at all for her.”

(Brianna) didn’t live her life as a victim. She was someone that was loud and proud and confident in who she was

Headteacher Emma Mills

Brianna’s headteacher also remembered the teenager as “loud and proud and confident”.

Speaking to the BBC, Emma Mills said: “There was never any evidence of Brianna being bullied within school or out of school.

“Brianna was very much able to give as good as she got in that way.

“And I think what was really hard was that she was portrayed in the media as a victim and she didn’t live her life as a victim.

“She was someone that was loud and proud and confident in who she was.”

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in