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A court heard that a teenage boy accused of stabbing to death a nine-year-old girl had been expelled from school just hours before the tragic incident. Aria Thorpe suffered a fatal stab wound to her chest at her home in Weston-super-Mare on 15 December 2025.
Evidence presented revealed the boy had a history of disruptive behavior at school, although teachers noted that he appeared to be making an effort only a week before his expulsion was confirmed. According to a statement from the defendant’s mother, she was informed by the school on the day of Aria’s death that her son would no longer be allowed to attend and that they would arrange for him to transfer to another school. “I felt angry, the week before I was told he was trying hard,” she said.
The teenager’s mother shared that she had confiscated his phone in response to the expulsion and expressed her disappointment to him, though she did not observe any major changes in his demeanor, saying he seemed calm. Meanwhile, the defendant’s grandfather described how the boy would sometimes talk back to his mother but denied any physical altercations. He also mentioned they had considered the boy joining the Navy and tried to encourage him to take up rugby, which the teenager declined, describing it as too aggressive. “He’s not academic, he did silly impulsive things at school without thinking,” the grandfather added.
On the evening of the fatal attack, Aria was found face down in her home by Ollie Sheppard, a lodger at the property, shortly after 6 pm. Paramedics were called, but their attempts to save her life ceased at 18:58. Aria’s mother, Victoria Hull, related that she had picked her daughter up from an after-school dance class earlier that afternoon and that Aria seemed happy and bubbly, enjoying a snack while watching TV before she left for work. Hull was working evening shifts at Pontins to supplement her income for Christmas and recalled that her daughter said, “see you after work mummy,” to which she replied, “see you after work, love you.” However, Hull left work early after realizing she was being contacted repeatedly, returning home at about 19:20 to find police officers at the scene.
During his police interview, the defendant expressed confusion about his actions, saying, “I don’t know why I did it, it just happened.” He became emotional during questioning and appeared to struggle with the idea that he had intended to stab Aria or held any anger towards her. He stated that Aria said his name and then fell to the floor. He admitted she could see the knife when he approached and denied checking on her afterward or trying to summon help. When questioned about leaving the scene, he said he was “scared” and “shocked.” The 16-year-old denies charges of murder and manslaughter relating to Aria’s death
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