The father of Aria Thorpe, Tom Thorpe, was in shock when he received the heartbreaking news of his nine-year-old daughter’s tragic death after she was stabbed. Aria passed away after being wounded with a knife in her chest at her residence in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, on December 15 last year. Tom, who works on an offshore wind turbine with a two-week on, two-week off schedule, was informed by Aria’s grandfather, Dennis, about the incident during what seemed like a regular day.
Upon hearing the news, Tom, a father of four, was taken aback and immediately made arrangements to return home upon learning that Aria had been attacked in her mother’s home. The call ended with Dennis revealing that a 16-year-old boy had been apprehended in connection with Aria’s death.
Tom, deeply affected by the news, struggled to comprehend the loss of his daughter and had difficulty processing his grief. He and his partner, Sophie, were sleepless and decided to travel to Dennis’ home in Weston after hearing the devastating news.
Following the trial, where a teenage boy was acquitted of Aria’s murder and manslaughter, Tom expressed his dismay, feeling like justice had not been served. He lamented the jury’s decision, leaving him in a state of emotional turmoil and disbelief. Tom is now considering appealing the verdict in the High Court but has been cautioned about the challenges of overturning the ruling without substantial new evidence.
The acquitted teenager claimed that the fatal injury was accidental, stating that he had picked up a knife to scare Aria but inadvertently caused her death. Despite the jury’s not guilty verdict, Tom remains devastated and struggles to come to terms with the court’s decision, feeling that the boy escaped accountability for his actions.