British Student, 15-year-old, arrested for the murder of a 9-year-old girl weeks after her birthday
A 15-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of nine-year-old Ava Thorpe, just weeks after she celebrated her birthday with friends. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, two days after the child was found dead.
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed in a press release that emergency services were called to a home in Lime Close, Weston-super-Mare, shortly before 6:10 pm on Monday. Officers arrived within minutes and found Ava’s body inside the house. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
A post-mortem examination has since been carried out. “A post-mortem examination has been carried out, and the preliminary finding is that the death was a result of a single stab wound,” officials told Fox News. The teenage suspect was arrested shortly after the discovery and later appeared in court to confirm his name and address.
He is due to appear next at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, according to the Sun. The case has shocked the local community, particularly given Ava’s age and the timing of her death. Just two weeks earlier, she had celebrated her ninth birthday with a K-pop Demon Hunters-themed party attended by friends from the neighborhood.
Avon and Somerset Police Superintendent Jen Appleford described the investigation as deeply distressing for those involved, particularly Ava’s family. “This remains an incredibly difficult time for Aria’s family, whom we continue to support and update around our investigation,” she said. “It is impossible to adequately describe how traumatic the past 36 hours have been for them, and we’d like to reiterate in the strongest possible terms their request for privacy.”
She added, “The tragic loss of such a young girl has caused a huge amount of shock and upset, with there being a profound sense of loss felt throughout the community.” A GoFundMe has been set up for the family.
Friends and neighbors described Ava as a bright, energetic child with a love of fashion, makeup, and styling her hair. She reportedly ran a small YouTube channel with a friend and had even begun earning money by cleaning cars.
Neighbor Tamara Taylor told The Times that Ava was best friends with her daughter. “Aria was a lovely little girl, sassy for her age. She loved dressing up and doing what little girls do,” she said. “She and my daughter were best friends. They were always playing together and would be in each other’s houses every night.”
Taylor said her daughter had attended Ava’s birthday party just weeks earlier. “I’m dreading telling her when she comes home from school later. How do you tell an 8-year-old girl that her best friend has been murdered?” she said. “I just can’t believe it. You hear about these things, and then suddenly, it’s on your own doorstep.”
Ava lived with her mother, Victoria Hull, 36, and her older siblings. She attended Becket Primary School. The investigation remains ongoing as the community struggles to come to terms with the loss.
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