Chloe Watson Trial: 'Get Me a Video' Messages Sent Minutes Before Stabbing, Jury Hears

Messages requesting video footage of a fight were exchanged minutes before 16-year-old Chloe Watson Dransfield was fatally stabbed, the jury at Leeds Crown Court has heard on the fourth day of the trial of Blake Dowling, 18, and Archie Rycroft, 20, who both deny murder and manslaughter. Kayla Smith, 18, pleaded guilty to murder on Thursday, 12 November 2026. Daily Dazzling Dawn understands the court was taken through a detailed timeline of CCTV footage and phone records from the early hours of Saturday, 28 March 2026, culminating in the prosecution's assertion that the stabbing occurred at approximately 5.11am on Kennerleigh Avenue in Austhorpe, Leeds.

Prosecutor Mark McKone KC told the jury that at 5.08am, Kayla Smith returned to the summerhouse carrying a box or bag under her right arm. At 5.09am, messages were exchanged in which a male requested footage of the impending confrontation. The message read: "Get me a video of today as well…" Another message between a male at the address and another girl stated: "I'll definitely get you a video of it, it's funny man don't worry about that."

Read More: New Evidence Against Blake Dowling and Archie Rycroft in Chloe Watson Murder Trial

At 5.10am, a taxi was recorded leaving Kennerleigh Avenue. At the same time, Kayla Smith left the summerhouse with a light-coloured balloon to her mouth, wearing matching red pyjamas and dark-coloured trainers. Archie Rycroft followed behind her, holding a phone in his left hand. Mr McKone told the court that Smith's left hand was seen to be empty as she exited the gate, with Rycroft following.

At 5.10am, footage showed Kayla Smith walking from the direction of the back garden followed by Archie Rycroft, who had a phone in his hand. Smith was seen raising her arms. The jury was told that an expert will give evidence on Monday regarding what is said at this stage of the recording. At 5.11am, the prosecution alleges the offence occurred. The footage was played to the court.

At 5.11am, Smith and Rycroft were seen on footage returning to the summerhouse. A male voice could be heard saying: "Yeah she has." Mr McKone said at 5.11am, messages between a male and a female read: "Tell Kayla she best win as well, I don't want no video of no dead fight as well."

The court heard that Blake Dowling could be seen going down the driveway at the side of Smith's property. A male who arrived in the taxi with him and Chloe could be seen jumping above a fence and saying: "Oi yo, Archie." Mr Rycroft was then seen walking to the gate from the summerhouse with a balloon in his mouth. Mr McKone described footage showing a male in front of Dowling attempting to close curtains from inside, with Rycroft saying something before the male walked past him towards the summerhouse. A male voice could be heard on the footage saying: "She wasn't joking was she?"

The court heard there were messages from Smith to her friend, but she deleted those chats. A missed call from Kayla to the friend was followed by a message from the friend to Kayla saying: "My phone just turned on."

Forensic scientist Kate Steer told the jury that Chloe's clothing was extensively bloodstained, including a 4.2cm cut to the back of her top. A DNA sample taken from Smith's pyjamas contained a mixture of profiles, with the main component matching Kayla Smith. Small blood spots on the front and sleeves of the pyjama top, and a drip near the inside of the left knee on the bottoms, were analysed. Samples from the chest and right cuff matched Chloe's DNA profile, with Ms Steer estimating the DNA findings were at least one billion times more likely if the blood originated from Chloe rather than an unknown individual related to her. She concluded the wearer of the pyjamas had been in close proximity to Chloe's blood.

The court was shown a pointed kitchen knife recovered from the draining board near the kitchen sink at Smith's property, measuring approximately 20cm long and 4.5cm at its widest point. Ms Steer found no blood, hair, skin or fibres on the blade. She said the knife could have caused the damage to Chloe's clothing and her injuries, but the lack of traces could be explained by cleaning, or the recovered knife could be a different weapon altogether. She could not say the knife was definitely used.

No blood was found on Archie Rycroft's clothing. Ms Steer agreed this was consistent with his account that he had not been close to Chloe, though the findings alone could not establish whether he had interacted with her while she was bleeding.

At 5.41am, taxi GPS recorded a pickup outside a pub. Around this point, a male at the scene messaged a female: "A girl pulled tools…" Geoffrey Smith also called Kayla at 5.41am. At 5.42am, Kayla was seen running to the summerhouse with a water bottle and locking the door from inside.

Between 5.46am and 5.51am, a conversation occurred between two of Smith's friends. One asked: "Why use lethal weapon? Are you's all ok in the head?" The reply was: "Come to Kayla's."

At 5.48am, Geoffrey Smith called 999, approximately thirty-seven minutes after the prosecution alleges Chloe was stabbed. The call lasted thirteen minutes. At 5.50am, footage showed Geoffrey Smith leaving the main house with his phone and walking towards the road. In the call, he reported seeing a female lying in the road but stated he had not gone out because of the dog. At 5.54am, the ambulance service notified police.

At 5.55am, Mr McKone said Blake Dowling and two other males attended a taxi and went through the McDonald's drive-through. The jury also heard about a message from one of the males who had been with Smith saying: "One of the girls I'm with just knifed another girl." The live report did not give a timestamp for that message or identify its sender.

Geoffrey Smith, Kayla's grandfather, has not been publicly confirmed as facing any charges in connection with Chloe's death. The jury has heard from witnesses who saw him giving Chloe CPR before a neighbour took over. In England and Wales, there is generally no legal duty to rescue another person. For a delay in calling for help to amount to gross negligence manslaughter, prosecutors would have to establish that a legal duty of care was owed to Chloe, that breaching it caused her death, and that the breach was grossly negligent in the face of a serious and obvious risk of death. The evidence reported so far gives too little to say whether a criminal charge is warranted or whether an earlier call would have changed the outcome.

Daily Dazzling Dawn notes that public commentary surrounding this case has included unverified allegations circulating on social media. These specific claims have not been verified in court proceedings and Daily Dazzling Dawn has not independently confirmed them. Readers are reminded that Dowling and Rycroft deny all charges and that their cases remain before the jury. Neither has been convicted of any offence.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Cavanagh KC. Kayla Smith remains in custody and will be sentenced following the conclusion of proceedings against her co-defendants.