A 16-year-old boy has been found not guilty of murder and manslaughter in connection with the stabbing death of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe. The verdict was delivered by a jury at Bristol Crown Court.
Aria Thorpe died on December 15 of the previous year after being stabbed in the chest at her home in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset. According to a statement read to the court by Aria's mother, Victoria Hull, the nine-year-old had spent her last day attending a dance class and preparing pizza at home.
Dr. Amanda Jeffery, a Home Office pathologist, testified that Aria died as a result of a single stab wound to the chest that penetrated her heart. Dr. Jeffery explained that such an injury can lead to sudden collapse and incapacitation, noting that the distribution of blood at the scene suggested Aria collapsed very quickly and would have died swiftly. The stab wound was measured at 3.2cm wide and between 7.5 and 8cm deep. Jurors were shown a large kitchen knife with a 21cm blade, which the pathologist confirmed was capable of inflicting the fatal injury.