An 18-year-old woman who stabbed a teenage girl to death during a planned fight over a young man has pleaded guilty to murder.
asserted
who → stab → murder
Chloe Watson Dransfield, 16, was attacked by Kayla Smith, 18, after going to the latter’s home with her boyfriend Blake Dowling in Leeds, West Yorkshire, a court heard.
asserted
court → attack → Leeds
Smith had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder.
asserted
Smith → plead → murder
She then changed her plea to guilty on the second day of her trial at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday.
asserted
She → change → Thursday
Dowling, 18, who took Chloe to the house, and Archie Rycroft, 20, who followed Smith to the fight on 28 March, are also charged with murder and manslaughter and their trial will continue.
asserted
trial → take → murder
They both deny the charges against them.
asserted
They → deny → them
The judge, Mr Justice Cavanagh KC, said he would sentence Smith when the trial concluded, adding the only sentence he could give was life imprisonment but he would need to set the minimum term she must spend in custody.
uncertain
she → say → custody
The trial previously heard Dowling had been in a relationship with both Chloe and Smith and “knew of the bad feeling between the two females”, although they had never met in person before the fatal attack.
asserted
they → hear → attack
Dowling’s mother told the court Smith was “jealous and obsessed” over her son’s relationship with Chloe.
asserted
Smith → tell → Chloe
The prosecution said Chloe and Smith had argued the previous evening, with Smith threatening to “stab her” several times.
asserted
Smith → say → her
Prior to the attack, Dowling was with Chloe and spoke to Smith on the phone, who was at her grandfather’s house in Austhorpe, east Leeds, with Rycroft.
asserted
who → speak → Rycroft
The court heard a friend of Chloe’s who was on FaceTime with her said she heard Dowling answering his phone and heard Smith screaming: “Blake, I’m gonna smash your head in …
asserted
I → hear → head
When Chloe said she was there, the witness heard Smith say: “I’m gonna stab you in your throat.”
asserted
I → say → throat
The two love rivals agreed to fight and Dowling booked a taxi to take Chloe to Smith’s home.
asserted
Dowling → agree → home
Giving evidence on Thursday, the friend said that as Chloe was on the way to Smith’s house she told her she was “off to get the fight that I’ve wanted for ages”.
asserted
I → give → ages
Gill Batts KC, defending Dowling, asked what she thought the fight would entail.
asserted
fight → defend → what
The witness replied: “Just themselves, nothing else,” meaning there would be no weapons.
asserted
witness → reply → ?
The court was shown CCTV and video doorbell footage which showed Smith emerging from the annexe in her grandfather’s garden holding a knife.
asserted
Smith → show → knife
Rycroft followed Smith as she left the property to fight with Chloe who was heard shouting “come on big girl”, and was then seen running back to the annexe with Rycroft after the stabbing.
asserted
who → follow → stabbing
Chloe, who had been stabbed five times in the neck and back, bled to death.
asserted
who → stab → death
Prosecutor Mark McKone KC said Rycroft was accused of murder “by walking with Kayla Smith to the fight and by trying to film Kayla Smith using violence and by providing support to her, if needed”.
asserted
Rycroft → say → her
He added Dowling knew Smith wanted to stab Chloe and by booking the taxi “played a part in organising the violence, assisted and encouraged Kayla Smith by taking Chloe to the scene for the purpose of fighting”.
asserted
Smith → add → purpose
Smith’s grandfather, Geoff Smith, called for an ambulance 37 minutes after the stabbing and was seen by a neighbour performing CPR on Chloe.
asserted
grandfather → call → Chloe
The jury heard Chloe was taken by ambulance to hospital but was pronounced dead at 6.40am.
asserted
Chloe → hear → 6.40am
When police arrested Smith and Rycroft, the prosecution said they were “laughing and joking” with two of their friends and using nitrous oxide in front of officers.
asserted
they → arrest → officers
McKone said Dowling denied knowing that Chloe would be caused really serious harm, while Rycroft said he followed Smith out of curiosity and did not see that she had a knife.
asserted
she → say → knife
The trial continues.
asserted
trial → continue → ?
The Aporia
