Eddie Ratcliffe will spend at least 20 years in prison for his role in the brutal murder of Brianna Ghey. Diagnosed with social anxiety, selective mutism, and autism, Eddie communicated in court by typing his queries and answers onto a computer. Eddie grew up in Leigh, Greater Manchester, alongside an older brother and a younger sister.
Eddie Ratcliffe’s father runs a truck company, and his mother is a graphic designer
Eddie Ratcliffe was born in 2007 to Kyle Ratcliffe and Alice Hemmings. He is a year older than his sister and a year younger than his brother.
Alice was 18 when she welcomed her and Kyle’s first child. Raised in an artistic family, she studied design at the University of Salford. In 2017, she successfully pitched a design for a memorial wall at Salford Royal Hospital to commemorate organ donors and bereaved families. During the coronavirus lockdown, Alice posted fitness videos and inspirational quotes online.
Kyle runs a truck company and owns a small gym. He supported Eddie’s kickboxing exploits by training him and enrolling him in competitions. In 2016, Kyle and Alice purchased a former council house under the Right To Buy scheme.
The Ratcliffe family seemed close; they enjoyed weekend boating in the Lake District and skiing holidays. During Eddie’s trial, it emerged that Kyle bought the murder weapon, a hunting knife, for Eddie during a December 2022 ski trip in Bulgaria.
Kyle attended Eddie’s trial sporadically, while Alice rarely missed a session. After his arrest, Eddie became more mute, speaking only with his mother. Eddie made no eye contact with his parents throughout the trial, even after he was sentenced to life.
A neighbor of the Ratcliffe’s told The Daily Mail that Eddie wasn’t a silent, trouble-free teenager. “Eddie has never been in any trouble, you’d just see him walking past, minding his own business,” the neighbor said. “There’s plenty of kids on this estate who do cause trouble and torment people, but Eddie’s never been one of them. What could possibly have been going on in his mind.”