Face of a killer: Teenager Kayla Smith warned of life sentence for Leeds love rival murder
Minimum prison term to be decided by judge
A teenager who knifed a love rival to death in the street has been told she faces a life sentence.
Kayla Smith admitted the bloody murder of Chloe Watson Dransfield on the second day of her trial at Leeds Crown Court, as the evidence against her piled up.
Having switched her plea to guilty, she faces an automatic life sentence, but the judge will decide the minimum amount of years she spends in custody before being eligible for parole.
As part of a life sentence she will be on life licence when she is eventually released, meaning she can be recalled to prison at any time.
During the opening speech to the jury on Tuesday, prosecutor Mark McKone said Smith and Chloe disliked each other because of their romantic relationship with 18-year-old Blake Dowling.
A pre-planned fight between them was arranged in the early hours of March 28.
Mr McKone focussed on the numerous threats 18-year-old Smith had made to Chloe in the hours before the tragedy.
A witness overheard Smith on the phone to Chloe telling her she was “going to stab her”, and later said to Chloe over the phone: “I’m gonna stab you in your throat.”
Smith was also said to message a friend and say: “I’m stabbing her…on my nana’s ashes.”
Mr McKone said that when it was confirmed Chloe was travelling to the fight, Smith then told that friend: “She’s on her way and I’m stabbing her.”
Carrying the knife from her property, she stabbed Chloe in the back and neck five times.
Smith, of Kennerleigh Avenue, Austhorpe will now be sentenced following the completion of the ongoing trial of her two co-accused.
Dowling, who was with Chloe and is accused of encouraging the fight, and Archie Rycroft, 20, who was with Smith at the fight is also accused of encouraging the violence.
Dowling and Rycroft both deny murder and manslaughter.
Their trial continues.