Overview
- Prosecutors say Aria Thorpe was stabbed once in the chest and died very swiftly from that single wound on December 15, 2025, according to a post-mortem read in court.
- A family friend discovered Aria face down at home, tried CPR and called 999, and neighbours told jurors they heard a brief commotion shortly before emergency services arrived.
- The 16-year-old defendant told detectives in a prepared statement that he ‘grabbed a knife and stabbed her’ and has pleaded not guilty while the defence says the injury occurred during 'playfighting'.
- After the incident the defendant went to a nearby Worle train station, told a group of youths what had happened, prompted a 999 call and was arrested on a train at 6.19pm, court testimony says.
- Prosecutors have introduced phone-analysis and CCTV evidence showing the device had been confiscated earlier that day, heavy phone use, a reported Google search of 'what happens if you kill' and limited sleep, and the trial at Bristol Crown Court is ongoing with no verdict yet.