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

The jury in the Chloe Watson Dransfield murder trial has heard new evidence concerning the alleged roles of Blake Dowling, 18, and Archie Rycroft, 20, both of whom deny murder and manslaughter. Kayla Smith, 18, pleaded guilty to murdering the 16-year-old on Thursday, 12 November 2026, at Leeds Crown Court, but the trial continues for her co-defendants. Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that the third day of proceedings focused on witness accounts of the moments before and after the fatal stabbing on Kennerleigh Avenue in Austhorpe, Leeds, on Saturday, 28 March 2026. The prosecution alleges that Dowling booked the taxi that brought Chloe to the scene knowing Smith intended to stab her, while Rycroft is accused of accompanying Smith to the fight and attempting to film the violence on his phone. Both men deny all charges.

One of Chloe's friends told the jury she was on a FaceTime call with the victim when she heard Smith repeatedly calling Dowling in the background. The witness stated she heard Smith threaten to "stab her in the throat" after Chloe made it clear she was present. Under questioning from Dowling's barrister, the friend confirmed she had told police that Chloe had previously said Smith threatened to stab her around twenty times. The witness explained that number came from what Chloe had told her, and that there had been months of arguments over the phone and on social media. As far as she knew, Chloe and Smith had never met in person before that morning. She told the court she had not taken the threat seriously at the time and believed Chloe had not either.

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

The friend remained in contact with Chloe after the FaceTime call ended. She told jurors that Chloe messaged saying she was going to fight Smith, which she understood to mean a physical altercation between the two girls. At 5.06am, Chloe sent her a photograph from a taxi. That was their last contact. The witness discovered Chloe had died that evening when she telephoned the victim's sister.

A second friend of Chloe, whose recorded police interview was played earlier in the week, gave live evidence on Thursday. She told the jury she had missed a call from Chloe in the early hours of 28 March and began trying to reach her at around 1pm. When she could not get through, she contacted Dowling on TikTok because she knew he had been with Chloe the night before. Dowling eventually replied asking her to ring him urgently, and later sent three Snapchat voice notes.

The witness stated that Dowling told her on the phone that the girls had gone to fight and that Smith had stabbed Chloe. Under cross-examination, she acknowledged she was in shock at the time and remembered the gist and certain parts of the conversation rather than verbatim details. She tried to call Dowling again to ask which hospital Chloe had been taken to. She told the court that Dowling later messaged her saying Chloe had died, that it was all over Facebook, and that he did not know what to do.

The court also heard from a dog walker who came across Smith's grandfather, Geoff Smith, performing chest compressions on Chloe on Kennerleigh Avenue. The witness estimated she arrived at approximately 5.45am and said she saw nobody else out in the street when she arrived. She knocked on a neighbour's door for help. The neighbour told the jury he came outside at around 5.50am and heard ambulance control giving instructions over the phone. Smith's grandfather told him he was tired and asked him to take over chest compressions. The neighbour continued until the ambulance crew took Chloe away.

Earlier in the trial, the prosecution presented a timeline placing the stabbing at around 5.11am and the 999 ambulance call at 5.48am, a gap of approximately thirty-seven minutes. Today's witnesses described what they observed upon arrival. The dog walker provided an approximate time, and neither account established precisely when CPR began. The court has previously heard that Smith was overheard telling her grandfather: "You can't ring the police, she's dead."

PC Callum Illingworth told the jury that when officers spoke to Smith at the summerhouse on the property, she said she had not seen or heard anything from the back of the location. He noted there were nitrous oxide canisters scattered around and that individuals inside were inhaling the gas while officers were present. PC Nicholas Wright, who entered after him, recalled seeing canisters but stated he did not remember anyone using a balloon.

Four people, including Smith and Rycroft, were initially arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and subsequently rearrested on suspicion of murder after officers learned Chloe had died. PC Wright told the jury he observed all four laughing and joking during the arrests. Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that the jury will consider the evidence against each defendant separately, and that neither Dowling nor Rycroft has been convicted of any offence.

The prosecution's case alleges that Dowling played a pivotal role by organising the violence. The Crown contends he knew Smith wanted to stab Chloe and that, by booking the taxi, he assisted and encouraged Smith by taking Chloe to the scene for the purpose of fighting. Rycroft is accused of supporting Smith by walking with her to the fight and attempting to film the violence on his phone. Both men deny murder and manslaughter, and their cases remain before the jury.

Daily Dazzling Dawn notes that public commentary surrounding this case has included unverified allegations circulating on social media. Some individuals have claimed that doorbell footage captured a male voice expressing excitement upon Smith's return to the property, with one comment stating the voice said words to the effect of "of course she has, she's stabbed her up." 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.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Friday, 13 November, when the court expects to hear from a pathologist and a scientist before jurors are taken through the established timeline of events. Kayla Smith remains in custody and will be sentenced following the conclusion of proceedings against her co-defendants. Mr Justice Cavanagh KC has indicated he will determine her minimum term once the trial is complete.