A 16-year-old boy is on trial for the fatal stabbing of a nine-year-old girl in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, after a dispute over a confiscated phone, a court heard on Monday. The victim, Aria Thorpe, was attacked at home with a kitchen knife, suffering a wound to her heart.

According to the prosecution, the teenager had his phone taken away earlier in the day as a punishment following his exclusion from school. Hours later, he stabbed Aria during an incident described as a "play-fight." Afterward, the boy fled to a nearby train station where he reportedly told a group of teenagers, “We were play-fighting and I accidentally stabbed her with a big knife.” One of the teenagers alerted the authorities, and the boy was arrested on a departing train.

During police questioning, the accused reportedly said, “I don’t know why I did it. I walked over and stabbed her.” The court heard that Aria’s mother, Victoria Hull, was at work when the attack occurred. The last words Aria spoke to her mother were described as “See you after work, Mummy, love you.” A family friend discovered Aria lying in a pool of blood shortly afterward and called emergency services, but the girl could not be saved.

Aria was described in court as a “happy and bubbly” child. At Bristol Crown Court, her mother was seen weeping as the trial began. The prosecution told the jury that the teen had stayed awake until nearly 3 a.m. the night before, engaging in online chat groups on his phone.

The accused, who cannot be named due to legal restrictions, appeared emotional during the proceedings, shedding tears at times. He denies charges of murder and manslaughter. The trial remains ongoing.