“How Can This Happen?” Father Demands Answers After Suspect in 9-Year-Old’s Fa-tal Stabbing Walks Free
‘How Can You Kill Someone, Brag About It and Walk Free?’ Aria Thorpe’s Heartbroken Dad Reveals Plans to Appeal Verdict
The grieving father of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe has spoken of his determination to appeal the verdict after the teenager who stabbed his daughter to death was found not guilty and walked free from court. Tom Thorpe described life without his daughter as “incomprehensible” and “beyond heartbreaking” following the decision at Bristol Crown Court. The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was acquitted of both murder and manslaughter after claiming the fatal wound was accidental.
Aria died at her home in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, on December 15 last year after suffering a single knife wound to the chest. The boy told the jury he had been “fencing” with the knife to scare Aria and did not intend for the blade to penetrate her body. Tom Thorpe, 36, from Portsmouth, who is separated from Aria’s mother Victoria Hull, said the family feels justice was not served.
Tragic Aria Thorpe with her dad Tom Thorp
A teenager was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter following Aria’s death
“We feel that the trial was a robbery of justice,” Tom told The Sun. “We don’t understand how you can stand up in court, admit to stabbing Aria, claiming she wasn’t to blame, it was me 100%, but walk out the court a free man.” He questioned how someone could kill another person, flee the scene, brag about it to friends, attempt to escape by train, and still walk free. Tom said the family is considering appealing the decision and has already spoken to their barrister about the possibility of taking the case further.
Family Seeks Official Transcripts to Review Trial Proceedings
Tom explained that the family is looking to obtain the official Crown Court transcripts with the aim of instructing an experienced criminal appeals barrister to conduct a thorough review. “This isn’t about undermining the justice system, it is about ensuring that every aspect of the trial was conducted fairly and correctly,” he said.
He revealed that his barrister had warned them that an appeal to the High Court might not overturn the verdict but could help prevent similar cases in the future. Tom added that they would explore every possible avenue, including having an independent barrister examine all the decisions made during the trial and what the jury had to consider. “They can look over all the decisions that were made, what the jury had to decide upon and see if there’s any inkling of slight little justice that we can get,” he said. “Then we will try our damn hardest to achieve that.”
However, Tom acknowledged the difficulties involved in mounting a successful appeal. “But we have been told to appeal, you just need an overwhelming new amount of evidence which I don’t think is going to be the case,” he explained. Despite these challenges, the family remains determined to seek answers and some form of justice for Aria.
The youngster suffered a single stab wound to the chest
Aria was described by her dad as having a ‘real care for others’
The Devastating Impact on Aria’s Siblings and Family
Tom spoke movingly about the challenge of explaining the situation to Aria’s older siblings, aged 14 and 11. “How do we tell our two eldest children, who are 14 and 11, who know right from wrong, that Aria has been killed and the boy who killed her got away with it?” he asked. “We can’t get our heads around any of it. What example does this set to children across the country?”
He described Aria as a typical nine-year-old girl full of energy, curiosity, innocence, and happiness. She loved family trips to the farm, walks in the woods, and playing with slime and anything messy. “She had a real care for others, always asking how others were and wanted everyone to be happy,” Tom said. Aria and her elder sister particularly enjoyed visiting their father’s house at weekends, where they could simply be children.
The impact on the younger siblings has been especially difficult. Tom’s toddler daughter walks around the house asking where Aria is, goes upstairs to wake her in the morning, and becomes upset when she is not there. “When she isn’t in her bed she asks ‘mummy, daddy, where’s Aria gone?’” Tom recalled. The family’s pain is compounded by memories of happier times, particularly a trip to Disneyland Paris in July 2024.
Tom said his favourite memory is taking Aria and her siblings to Disneyland Paris in July 2024
Aria with dad Tom’s partner Sophie
Fond Memories of a Joyful Little Girl
Tom shared a cherished memory of waking the children one morning and surprising them with a trip to Disneyland Paris. “We woke them up, asked what they would like to do today, they gave a few answers like going to a play area, swimming, seeing some horses, going to the beach etcetera, and then we said ‘we have an idea, shall we go Disneyland?’ and pulled out four pairs of Mickey Mouse ears,” he said.
The children initially did not believe them but became excited as they started packing the car. “They all ran around like it was the Home Alone house. It was magical,” Tom remembered. “Aria’s face when she saw all of the princess characters, horse carriages, Moana and rides was a memory we will never forget.”
These happy memories now stand in painful contrast to the family’s current reality. “Life without Aria is incomprehensible,” Tom said. “This is beyond heartbreaking.” Aria’s aunt Katie Thorpe echoed the family’s devastation outside court, saying they had effectively been handed a life sentence while the person responsible walked free.
CCTV showed the boy telling pals he had stabbed the nine-year-old to death, jurors heard
Police chased the defendant down on a train
He was later handcuffed and marched off the train
Mum Victoria Hull outside court
The Circumstances of Aria’s Tragic Death
The court heard that Aria had spent the afternoon before her death at a dance class and was picked up by her mother Victoria Hull. She ate pizza and seemed bubbly and happy, even asking for the last Oreo. Victoria recalled Aria saying something like “see you after work mummy” before she replied “see you after work, love you.”
A Home Office pathologist found that Aria died from a single stab wound that went through her heart. The 16-year-old boy fled the scene to a nearby train station after the incident. Footage showed him telling a group of other youths that he had stabbed someone and that they would see it on the news later.
CCTV showed the boy telling pals he had stabbed the nine-year-old to death, jurors heard
Police chased the defendant down on a train
He was later handcuffed and marched off the train
Mum Victoria Hull outside court
In court, the boy claimed he had picked up a knife from the kitchen and gone into the lounge where Aria was sitting on the sofa. “Aria stood up and I was waving around the knife,” he told the jury. “Then at some point I decided that I was going to try to make her flinch and scare her, to get a reaction. I leaned forward, acted like I was fencing.”
The family’s pain is compounded by the fact that the boy admitted to the stabbing but was acquitted. Tom and his family are left struggling to understand how such an outcome was possible and are determined to explore every legal avenue available to them.
The case has raised difficult questions about the justice system and how incidents involving young people are handled in court. For Tom Thorpe and his family, the fight for justice for Aria continues even after the verdict. Their determination to seek answers reflects a deep love for their daughter and a belief that her death deserves fuller accountability.
As they navigate life without Aria, the family clings to memories of her joyful personality and the happy times they shared. The road ahead will be incredibly difficult, but their resolve to honour Aria’s memory remains strong.
