Kayla Smith, 18, will today start her life behind bars after pleading guilty to the murder of Chloe Watson Dransfield, 16, who she stabbed five times outside her Gomersal home in West Yorkshire in the early hours of March 28
Staring coldly into the camera, dark eyes framed by heavy false lashes and clad in a prison-issued grey sweatshirt, Kayla Smith begins her life sentence today as a ruthless killer. Without the chilling details that emerged during the brief three-day murder and manslaughter trial, an unsuspecting onlooker might be forgiven for mistaking this image for an ordinary teenage girl’s passport photo — perhaps gearing up for a sun-soaked holiday with friends.
But this is her mugshot. And her destination? An undisclosed prison, reports Leeds Live. Her crime? That of a knife-wielding murderer, driven by jealousy and consumed by a thirst for revenge.
Did she realise, when this photograph was snapped, that she had not only stolen Chloe Watson Dransfield’s life but also thrown away her own freedom — all over a boy?
Perhaps she knew and simply didn’t care, or perhaps she believed she could escape justice. But reality soon came crashing down on Smith, 18, leaving her with no way out from what she had done or the consequences that would inevitably follow.
Faced with overwhelming evidence stacking up against her, she ultimately pleaded guilty to Chloe’s murder on Thursday (November 12). It was the third day of proceedings at Leeds Crown Court.
She had previously admitted manslaughter, and the shocking plea came as her co-defendants Blake Dowling, 18, and Archie Rycroft, 20, continue to contest the charges of murder or manslaughter brought against them.
Chloe, 16, from Gomersal, lost her life after Smith stabbed her five times outside her home in Kennerleigh Avenue in the early hours of March 28 this year, with the fatal blow being one of two strikes to her back.
The two young women had agreed to fight after an “obsessed” Smith demanded one following a dispute over her ex-boyfriend and Chloe’s then-partner, Mr Dowling.
Both Mr Dowling and Mr Rycroft stand accused of egging Smith on, who was captured on footage storming out of the home she shared with her grandfather, clad in her pyjamas and clutching the knife that would claim Chloe’s life.
On Thursday, Smith was told she would be remanded into custody. No date has yet been set for the hearing, with The Honourable Mr Justice Cavanagh confirming she faces a life sentence, though he will need to determine the minimum term she must serve behind bars.
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