Teenage girl admits murder in row over boy
Quick Look
- Kayla Smith, 18, has pleaded guilty to the murder of 16-year-old Chloe Watson Dransfield following a pre-planned fight in March.
- The victim was stabbed to death; two other defendants remain on trial for their alleged roles in the incident.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The victim, Chloe Watson Dransfield, was killed during a pre-planned fight involving the defendant and others on 28 March.
A teenager has admitted murdering a 16-year-old girl who she stabbed to death in a pre-planned fight over a boy.
Chloe Watson Dransfield, 16, was taken by her boyfriend Blake Dowling, 18, to the home of Kayla Smith, 18, who fatally stabbed her in the early hours of 28 March.
Smith had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder - but changed her plea to guilty on the second day of her trial at Leeds Crown Court.
Dowling and Archie Rycroft, 20, who followed Smith to the fight, are also charged with murder and manslaughter and their trial will continue.
The judge, Mr Justice Cavanagh KC, said he would sentence Smith once the trial was over.
He warned her that the only sentence he could pass for murder was life imprisonment, but that he would need to set the minimum term she must spend in custody.
The trial heard on Wednesday that Dowling had been in a relationship with both Chloe and Smith and "knew of the bad feeling between the two females".
Dowling's mother said Smith was "jealous and obsessed" over her son's relationship with Chloe.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Sentencing of Kayla Smith following the conclusion of the trial.
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What will be the final verdict for Blake Dowling and Archie Rycroft?
- What is the determined minimum prison term for Kayla Smith?
