16-year-old on trial for murder of 9-year-old Aria Thorpe

A 16-year-old boy is on trial at Bristol Crown Court, accused of murdering nine-year-old Aria Thorpe at her home in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on December 15, 2025. The defendant, who cannot be named due to his age, also denies an alternative charge of manslaughter. The trial, which began this week, is expected to last two weeks.

Aria died from a single stab wound to the chest, which pierced her heart and left lung. Prosecutors told the court the defendant admitted to police that he grabbed a knife and stabbed her. In a prepared statement, he said, "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." He claimed he had intended to scare Aria and expected her to flinch when he jabbed the knife toward her.

The court heard that after the incident, the defendant fled to Worle railway station. There, he spoke to a group of young people he knew from school. Witnesses testified he told them, "I was playing around with a knife. She walked into the knife. I accidentally stabbed her with a really big knife." He also allegedly told one person, "I'm a murderer. I accidentally killed someone," and borrowed a phone to search online for "what...