The family of a 16-year-old girl who was killed in what was said to be a row over a boy have paid tribute to their ‘world’.
Chloe Watson Dransfield, from Gomersal, West Yorkshire, died at the weekend after suffering stab wounds ‘in her back’.
The teenager, described by her heartbroken family as a ‘loyal, honest, family-oriented princess’, was found unresponsive in the quiet Austhorpe suburb of Leeds at 6am on Saturday.
Despite the best attempts of neighbours who came to her rescue, she was pronounced dead shortly after being rushed to hospital.
Police have launched a murder investigation and on Monday arrested a fifth person, a 17-year-old boy.
He is in custody, along with two women, both 18, a man, 19, and a boy, 17, who were previously arrested on suspicion of murder. All are from Leeds.
Chloe’s family said they are ‘utterly devastated’ by her death and the ‘absence she leaves behind is immeasurable’.
A statement from Chloe’s mother and siblings said: ‘My beautiful princess Chloe. I cannot put into words how I feel that you are not here with me.
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Chloe Watson Dransfield, from Gomersal, West Yorkshire, died on Saturday morning after suffering stab wounds
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The teenager was described by her heartbroken family as a ‘loyal, honest, family oriented princess’
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Officers were called at 5.55am on Saturday to Kennerleigh Avenue, a quiet street of bungalows in the suburb of Austhorpe, Leeds
‘You are my life, my world, my best friend and I know that I am yours. I cannot live without you – I need you.
‘You are stunning, confident, loyal, honest and my family-oriented princess.
‘When you walk into any room it lights up with your bubbly personality. There is so much I could say. There’s a big hole in my heart that can never be filled.
‘Your two sisters and big brother will always love and miss you to infinity. You will always and forever be in our hearts. Love Mum, Connor, Courtney and Cienna.’
Her father and other family members added: ‘Our family is utterly devastated by the loss of Chloe.
‘We miss every single thing about her. She was beautiful, full of joy, and had a wonderfully cheeky personality.
‘She embraced life with such happiness, and she had her whole future ahead of her.
‘Chloe was loved by everyone who knew her, and the absence she leaves behind is immeasurable.
‘We will miss her forever, she will never be forgotten. Love you always and forever Dad, Sacha, Reuben, Mia, Amelia, Grandma, Grandad and Uncle Jordan.’
After Chloe’s death, one man who tried to assist said she had been ‘stabbed in the back’.
And as part of an GoFundMe fundraiser, a woman identifying herself as a cousin said her ‘life was taken in a flash over a boy.’
The Daily Mail understands that Chloe had been in a relationship with a 17-year-old boy for around a year-and-a-half.
Friends, however, said that the relationship was ‘volatile’ and that six weeks ago, she learned that he had been unfaithful to her.
It is understood that the boy was present at the party in the quiet Austhorpe area of the city.
At the family home in Cleckheaton friends and relatives remained in the dark over the exact circumstances of Chloe’s death.
Chloe’s uncle Christopher Watson said: ‘She was a beautiful young lady with her whole life ahead of her. She just got a placement to go to college. She didn’t drink or smoke. She had her head screwed on.
‘She just met the wrong boy.’
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Specialist forensic officers sealed off the road and examined the area for evidence after a murder inquiry was launched
Chloe, who had recently secured a college placement to study hair and beauty, had attended the party at the bungalow.
Shortly before being attacked, she had messaged a friend asking to be picked up.
She was found on the roadside in Kennerleigh Avenue shortly before 6am.
A knife believed to have been used in the attack is understood to have been recovered by detectives.
Tragically, her mother, Addel Watson, is said to have learned of her daughter’s death through social media after failing in her attempts to contact her.
A friend said: ‘Addel and Chloe were best friends – not just mum and daughter. They were never out of touch.
‘Chloe had a tattoo on her wrist saying ‘mum’. They loved each other so much.
‘She would always text her mum to say ‘good morning’. When Addel didn’t get a message she was looking everywhere for her.
‘She didn’t know where she was. Then a friend sent a link to an news article.
‘It’s just devastating. Nobody is able to comprehend what has happened.’
On Monday, flowers were being laid at the scene in Leeds, some 13 miles from where Chloe lived.
One of the messages said it was to ‘my beautiful girl’ and ‘rest easy my Chloe. Love you forever my crazy girl’.
Looking at the tributes, local resident Gillian Brook said: ‘This area’s really quiet. This young girl’s lost her life. She’d got all her life ahead of her.
‘My granddaughter’s the same age.’
‘My heart goes out to her family and everybody who knew her. It’s devastating.’
‘It’s just a really quiet area and you don’t expect it. It’s so, so sad.’
On the fundraising page, her relative said her ‘life was sadly taken in tragedy, 16 years young, didn’t even make it to her 18th, her whole life was taken in a flash over a boy.’
The relative added: ‘I wanted to create a GoFundMe to help give her the best send-off possible.
‘She didn’t deserve this. She was so full of life. Such an innocent beautiful soul taken too soon.’
Neighbour Wayne Mallows described how he and other residents tried to save the ‘lifeless’ girl.
The 64-year-old told the Daily Mail he performed CPR on the teenager on the pavement close to his home.
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Chloe, 16, was allegedly stabbed to death in a row over a boy
‘I was called out of the house about 5.50am on Saturday morning by a dog walker,’ he said.
‘She said that my neighbour was outside doing CPR on a young girl. He was getting tired.
‘I asked if they’d rung an ambulance and then I realised that a phone was on the ground and he had it on loudspeaker. Ambulance control were giving him instructions.
‘I took over until the ambulance arrived 10 minutes later. She had been stabbed in the back and there was quite a bit of blood. Her eyes were just blank.’
A man who answered the door at Chloe’s mother’s home was too upset to comment. Several floral tributes and cards had been left outside.
Mr Mallows said he was struggling to get the image of the girl’s face out of his mind.
‘When the ambulance arrived around 6am the paramedics got all the kit out and tried to reactive the heart and they were doing chest compressions,’ he added.
‘They did that for about five minutes and then got her into the ambulance. Police were arriving all the time.
‘In my mind I have a picture of her face.
‘To me she looked very young, younger than 16.’
He added that she was wearing a ‘blouse with a little beige coat over it, and a dress and she had thick socks on’.
Kennerleigh Avenue, in the Austhorpe suburb of the city, where Chloe was found, consists mainly of old folks’ bungalows, and is usually very quiet, Mr Mallows said.
‘It is mostly elderly people in the bungalows, they come here to retire,’ he added.
Extensive tributes to the youngster were posted online on Facebook and TikTok.
One read: ‘Rest in eternal peace beautiful girl, u (sic) was loved by many and gunna be missed forever.’
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Detective Chief Superintendent Marc Bowes, of West Yorkshire Police, said it was a very ‘complex’ investigation and appealed for witnesses
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Bunches of roses and chrysanthemums left outside Chloe’s mother’s home, in Cleckheaton
Another wrote: ‘Your bubbly personality, your weird laugh, your cringy jokes will forever be unmatched. You always made sure everyone was feeling litty and loved…it’s truly devastating.’
Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle, of West Yorkshire Police, said: Our thoughts remain with Chloe’s family at this incredibly difficult time. Our specially-trained officers continue to provide them with support.
‘Our investigation into her death is ongoing and five people arrested on suspicion of murder remain in custody, as we continue to establish the full circumstances of this incident.
‘I am appealing to anyone with any relevant information to contact us. If you have any mobile phone footage that you believe might be connected to this incident then you can send it to our Major Incident Public Portal at the below link.’
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