Teenage girl pleads guilty to murdering love rival in planned fight

Summarised from 8 outlets · 11 reports · Updated 12 Nov, 21:14 · Archive

Kayla Smith, 18, has pleaded guilty to murdering Chloe Watson Dransfield, 16, whom she stabbed in a pre-planned fight over a boy.

Kayla Smith, 18, has pleaded guilty to murder after stabbing Chloe Watson Dransfield, 16, to death during a pre-planned fight over a boy in Leeds. The attack occurred in the early hours of 28 March at Smith's home in the Austhorpe area.

Chloe had been taken to the scene by her boyfriend Blake Dowling, 18, by taxi after the two girls agreed to fight. Dowling had been in "on-off" relationships with both girls and knew of the bad feeling between them. His mother told the court that Smith was "jealous and obsessed" over her son's relationship with Chloe.

The prosecution said that on the evening of 27 March, after discovering Chloe was with Dowling, Smith made repeated threats over the phone to stab her. The two girls then agreed to fight. In the hours before the attack, Dowling was with Chloe at his mother's house but remained in contact with Smith.

During the early hours of 28 March, Smith came out of the summer house in her grandfather's garden where she lived, followed by her friend Archie Rycroft, 20. She approached Chloe with a knife and stabbed her five times in the neck and back.

Smith had initially pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder. However, on the second day of her trial at Leeds Crown Court, she changed her plea and admitted the more serious charge.

The judge, Mr Justice Cavanagh KC, said he would sentence Smith once the trial concluded. He warned her that the only sentence he could pass for murder was life imprisonment, though he would need to set the minimum term she must spend in custody.

Two co-defendants remain on trial: Dowling and Rycroft, 20. The court heard that Rycroft followed Smith to the fight and is accused of recording the attack on a phone. Both Dowling and Rycroft deny murder and manslaughter, and the trial will continue.

How it is being reported

• Woman, 18, admits murdering girl, 16, in LeedsKayla Smith stabbed Chloe Watson Dransfield to death during planned fight over young man 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. 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. Continue reading...Guardian World · 12 Nov, 20:57
• Teenage girl who stabbed love rival to death pleads guilty to murderA teenager who stabbed another girl to death during a pre-planned fight over a boy has pleaded guilty to murder.Sky News · 12 Nov, 16:12
• Kayla Smith: Teenage girl admits murdering love rival in fatal stabbingThe court heard Kayla Smith was ‘jealous and obsessed’ over her boyfriend’s relationship with another teenThe Independent · 12 Nov, 14:48
• Teenage girl admits murdering love rival she stabbed in fight over a boyChloe Watson Dransfield, 16, was stabbed to death by Kayla Smith, 18, in March this year (Picture: West Yorkshire Police/PA) A teenage girl who stabbed another to death during a fight over a boy has pleaded guilty to murder. Kayla Smith, 18, killed 16-year-old Chloe Watson Dransfield in March this…Metro · 12 Nov, 12:52
• Teenage girl admits murder in row over boyKayla Smith, 18, pleads guilty to the murder of Chloe Watson Dransfield, who she stabbed to death.BBC News · 12 Nov, 12:28
• Teenager who stabbed 16-year-old love rival to death in pre-planned fight over teenage boy admits murderChloe Dransfield (pictured), 16, died after being attacked by Kayla Smith, 18, following an escalating row over a boyfriend they had both been involved with.Daily Mail · 12 Nov, 12:11
• Teenage girl who stabbed 16-year-old in fight over boy pleads guilty to murderChloe Watson Dransfield, 16, was taken by her boyfriend Blake Dowling, 18, to the home of Kayla Smith, 18, who fatally stabbed her.Evening Standard · 12 Nov, 12:11
• Teen pleads guilty to murder of love rival Chloe Dransfield, 16, she stabbed in planned street fightKayla Smith, 18, stabbed Chloe Watson Dransfield to death during a planned street fight over a boy in Austhorpe, LeedsThe Mirror · 12 Nov, 12:05
• Girl, 16, ‘knifed to death in planned fight over boy they were both dating’Chloe Watson Dransfield, 16, was killed by Kayla Smith, 18, over a boy, a court heardMetro · 11 Nov, 14:56
• Girl, 16, stabbed five times by love rival and left to die in 'pre-planned fight' over teenage boy, murder trial hearsChloe Dransfield was knifed three times in the back and twice in the neck after travelling to confront Kayla Smith, 18, following a row over Blake Dowling, also 18, who both girls had been in a relationship with.Daily Mail · 11 Nov, 13:18
• Girl, 16, stabbed five times to death in planned street fight over boy, court hearsChloe Watson Dransfield was stabbed to death during a planned street fight over a boy in Austhorpe, Leeds, with teenager Kayla Smith accused of murderThe Mirror · 11 Nov, 12:42

In this story: Kayla Smith · Chloe Watson Dransfield · Blake Dowling · Archie Rycroft · Leeds Crown Court · Leeds · Austhorpe

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log