A 16‑year‑old has been found not guilty of murdering nine‑year‑old Aria Thorpe, who died after being stabbed with a kitchen knife.
Aria suffered a deep chest wound at her home in Weston‑super‑Mare, North Somerset, on 15 December of the previous year.
The prosecution argued that the boy stabbed Aria intentionally, aiming to kill or cause serious injury, or that his conduct was such that any reasonable person would recognise it as creating a risk of physical harm to her.
Giving evidence at Bristol Crown Court, the boy said he took a kitchen knife from Aria’s home, entered the lounge where she was seated on the sofa, and waved the knife at her. He said, “Aria stood up and I was waving around the knife. Then at some point I decided that I was going to try to make her flinch and scare her, to get a reaction. I leaned forward, acted like I was fencing.”
During her summation, Mrs Justice O’Farrell described the case as “tragic and shocking” with profound emotional impact. She stated: “He accepts that he stabbed with a kitchen knife, but he says it was an accident. His intention was to frighten her, not to kill or cause serious injury. He held the knife, made a sudden movement toward her, but did not intend to kill or severely harm her.”
Although the teenager cannot be identified due to his age, he denied charges of murder and manslaughter and was acquitted of both. After Aria was injured, he went to a nearby train station, told a group of children that he had killed her accidentally, and borrowed a child’s phone to search for “what happens if you kill …”.
Another child called 999, and police arrived shortly after the boy boarded a train. Earlier, Aria had been collected from an after‑school dance class by her mother, Tori Hull. They had gone shopping for mini pizzas before Hull left for an evening shift to earn extra money before Christmas, leaving Aria watching YouTube videos on television.
Hull testified that Aria appeared “bubbly and happy” after the dance class, noting that she asked for the last Oreo after eating, and that she said, “see you after work, mummy,” to which Hull replied, “see you after work, love you.”
Family friend Ollie Sheppard, who was temporarily staying at the house, returned around 6 p.m., found Aria on the living‑room floor, and called 999, prompting a rapid police and ambulance response.
Andrew Langdon KC, counsel for the boy, asked how he was feeling. He answered, “I felt horrible.”
DI Neil Meade of Avon and Somerset Police said, “Aria Thorpe was a fun‑loving girl, adored by her parents and extended family. She brought immense joy to many lives.”
The grieving family have demonstrated remarkable courage throughout the past six months, especially during the trial, and our thoughts remain with them.
We wish to remind the public that legal restrictions prevent the boy from being identified, as he is under 18. No publication should facilitate his identification.
The court heard that Aria measured 4 ft 4 in in height, and the knife used was 22 cm long, penetrating up to 8 cm into her chest.
