Murdered Ava White’s schoolboy killer, 14, will NOT be named after judge rejected family demands to lift anonymity order ‘to safeguard his welfare’ as he faces jail for stabbing 12-year-old to death in petty row outside Primark
- Ava White, 12, was stabbed in the neck in Liverpool city centre in November 2021
- Her 14-year-old killer, a boy from Liverpool, cannot be named for legal reasons
- Incident took place outside Primark during a Christmas lights switch-on in city
- Boy denied murdering Ava but was found guilty after trial at city’s Crown Court
The teenage murderer of 12-year-old schoolgirl Ava White will not be named after a judge rejected family demands to lift an anonymity order protecting his identity.
The boy stabbed young Ava in the neck outside a Primark in Liverpool on November 25 last year – following a firework display in the city centre.
The boy, who was 14 at the time, stabbed the Year 8 Notre Dame Catholic College pupil with a flick knife after an argument about him filming her and her friends on Snapchat.
His identity is automatically protected under UK law due to him being under the age of 18. However such orders can be lifted by a judge.
Just last month, in a unrelated murder case involving a similarly aged defendant, a judge at Cardiff Crown Court lifted an order protecting the identity of 14-year-old Craig Mulligan after he was jointly found guilty of the murder of five-year-old Logan Mwangi.
Today, at the boy’s sentencing for Ava’s murder, an application to lift the killer’s anonymity was put forward to the court.
But it was rejected by a judge, who said there were ‘immediate concerns for the defendant if his identity becomes more widely known’.
Rejecting the application, Mrs Justice Amanda Yip said: ‘I well understand why Ava’s family wants him to be named. In this case, there are real and immediate concerns for the defendant if his identity becomes more widely known.
‘Having considered all the circumstances, I have concluded that the public interest is outweighed by the need to safeguard the welfare of the defendant.
‘There is evidence that the authorities harbour a genuine concern to safeguard him.
‘I take into account the safety and welfare of his family. I refuse the application for an expecting direction.’
Prosecutors say the teenager laughed and ran away after inflicting young Ava with a fatal injury, though his legal team told the court he was acting in ‘self-defence’.
CCTV footage showed the ‘callous’ boy and his friends going into a shop after the stabbing, where they bought butter for crumpets and arranged his hair for a selfie before going home to play Call Of Duty on a PlayStation 4.
The teenager, who appeared on video-link throughout the trial, now counts among the UK’s youngest convicted murderers.
Today Ava’s mother told the sentencing hearing how the tragic death of her daughter has replayed in her head ever since.
Delivering a heartbreaking victim impact statement at the sentencing of her daughter’s 14-year-old killer, Leanne White today told the Liverpool Crown Court: ‘My beloved Ava dies all over again every morning I wake up.
Ava White (pictured) was stabbed in the neck at the junction of School Lane and Church Alley in Liverpool city centre on November 25 last year
He stabbed the Year 8 Notre Dame Catholic College pupil with a flick knife (pictured) after an argument about him filming her on Snapchat
They said he ditched his knife, designer coat (pictured) and mobile phone in a ‘cover-up’, then took selfies, got butter for crumpets and played Call of Duty
The jacket worn by the 14-year-old boy when he stabbed Ava White. It was then thrown in a bin (pictured) where it was later found
Ava White’s family read victim impact statements in sentencing of
Ava’s mother, Leanne, and sister, Mia, read out victim impact statements to the court.
Mia said: ‘Since that evening, my life has gone to a standstill. From the minute my sister was taken, I’m a shadow of my former loving sister.
‘I spent most of my time with Ava. We would sit on each other beds talking about how our day had gone.
‘I even miss how she would sneak into my room and take my makeup. Since that horrific evening, I barely go out anymore or speak to my friends.
‘Seeing my cousins laugh and play hurts me. I have a picture of Ava which I kiss every day. It shouldn’t be a picture, it should be here.
‘Every day I experience flashbacks and nightmares of that horrific night. The unnecessary horrendous murder of my sister has really shocked and frightened me.
‘To cover up a murder in such a cold and calculated way. A 14-year-old boy should not take the life of another child.
‘I try so hard to be as strong as I can for my mum, who should never have to bury her child.’
She said her mum worked at Primark for years, but is unable to return to work due to it being next to the scene of Ava’s murder.
Mia, who hopes to give talks in schools across the city highlighting the impact of knife crime, added: ‘My life as it was has changed. I miss my sister.
‘The pain is never-ending. The day my sister died is yesterday, today and forever.’
Leanne said: ‘It’s the past, the present and the future. It’s not one horrific moment, our lives became permanently divided into before and after.
‘My beloved Ava dies all over again every morning I wake up. My Ava dies again every moment she’s not with us for the rest of my life.
‘She was my life, the life and soul of the party. She was a happy, healthy child adored by her family. The light of my life was dimmed forever.
‘Now I have nothing to live for. I remember how excited she was for Christmas. Never could I imagine I would never see my beautiful baby alive again.
‘My heart is broken. I will never hear her laughter or hold her in my arms. Precious memories are all I have left of my Ava.
‘Ava was a kind-hearted little girl. She was more than happy to offer support where it was needed, and people would come to her knowing she would do her best for them.
‘I will never see her grow into an adult, marry or give birth to children.’
The heartbroken mother said her daughter wanted to travel the world and would have had a ‘wonderful life’.
Leanne added: ‘Laughter was not missing from our home as it is now, neither was happiness.
‘We were once a happy family getting on with our lives. I was once outgoing, but I now dread each new day. My baby was murdered.
‘All this horror was caused by an individual who insisted on recording Ava on his phone. She was 12 years old, a child.
‘She had only gone to watch the lights being switched on for Christmas. How could we ever imagine this would lead to her death?
‘Rest in peace my baby girl, you are loved. The people of Liverpool have been so kind. To all the people of Liverpool, our heartfelt thanks to you.’
‘She was my life, the life and soul of the party. She was a happy, healthy child adored by her family. The light of my life was dimmed forever.
‘Now I have nothing to live for. I remember how excited she was for Christmas. Never could I imagine I would never see my beautiful baby alive again.
‘My heart is broken. I will never hear her laughter or hold her in my arms. Precious memories are all I have left of my Ava.
‘Ava was a kind-hearted little girl. She was more than happy to offer support where it was needed, and people would come to her knowing she would do her best for them.
‘I will never see her grow into an adult, marry or give birth to children.’
The heartbroken mother said her daughter wanted to travel the world and would have had a ‘wonderful life’.
Leanne added: ‘Laughter was not missing from our home as it is now, neither was happiness.
‘We were once a happy family getting on with our lives. I was once outgoing, but I now dread each new day. My baby was murdered.
‘All this horror was caused by an individual who insisted on recording Ava on his phone. She was 12 years old, a child.
‘She had only gone to watch the lights being switched on for Christmas. How could we ever imagine this would lead to her death?
‘Rest in peace my baby girl, you are loved. The people of Liverpool have been so kind. To all the people of Liverpool, our heartfelt thanks to you.’
Leanne also thanked Merseyside Police, adding: ‘God bless you all and thank you.’
The court previously heard how Boy A gave a false alibi to police and blamed another boy for killing Ava, before changing his story and claiming he acted in self-defence.
The teenage said he ‘didn’t mean to’ stab Ava and was ‘trying to get her away from me’.
He said he thought she was a boy, who might be armed, and feared she would ‘batter’ him.
A jury found Boy A guilty of murder after two hours and eight minutes of deliberation and a 12-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court in May.
Some members of Ava’s family roared and cheered, with shouts of ‘yes’ and ‘get in’, when the verdict was returned. Others burst into tears and some apologised for the reaction.
Today a judge rejected calls for the young killer’s anonymity, which is automatically applied due to the offender being under 18, to be lifted.
Mrs Justice Amanda Yip said: ‘This offence has given rise to a very high level of interest.
‘I well understand why Ava’s family wants him to be named. In this case, there are real and immediate concerns for the defendant if his identity becomes more widely known.
‘Having considered all the circumstances, I have concluded that the public interest is outweighed by the need to safeguard the welfare of the defendant.
‘There is evidence that the authorities harbour a genuine concern to safeguard him.
‘I take into account the safety and welfare of his family. I refuse the application for an expecting direction.’
The court was previously told how the youth told a police officer ‘shut up you nonce’ and boasted about smoking weed as he was questioned over Ava’s death.
He was arrested at about 10.30pm on November 25 after initially telling his mother he was ‘not going the cells’.
The jury in his trial heard edited transcripts of five police interviews carried out in the days following his arrest.
Following legal discussions, the jury was not told that at the end of his first interview, he told an officer: ‘Shut up you nonce.’
He also referred to ‘smoking weed’ in part of an interview which was not read to the jury.
During interviews he denied being in the city centre on the night of the killing, claimed another boy was responsible, gave numerous ‘no comment’ answers, told police ‘I’m not bothered’ and said ‘I don’t f****** know’.
Despite the seriousness of his crime, Ava’s (pictured) killer cannot be named for legal reasons and is therefore referred to as Boy A, from south Liverpool
A police cordon near the scene in Liverpool city centre where 12-year-old Ava White died following an assault
The teenage said he ‘didn’t mean to’ stab Ava and was ‘trying to get her away from me’. However a jury found him guilty of murder. Pictured: Police at the scene
Tributes left at the scene where Ava White was fatally stabbed by a 14-year-old boy in Liverpool in November last year
In his evidence, the teenager was asked why he had lied to police and he said he thought he would ‘get away with it’.
He added: ‘I was scared I was going to go to jail.’
The boy was accompanied by an intermediary throughout the trial, which he attended over video-link.
He was given a fidget toy which the jury was told could help him concentrate due to his attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
The court heard the knife used in the stabbing belonged to the boy.
The jury was shown CCTV of the boy running from the scene after Ava was stabbed and heard he discarded the knife and his coat, which was later found in a wheelie bin.
About 40 minutes after he injured Ava, the boy was contacted by his mother who told him police wanted to speak to him.
A person holds the order of service at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral ahead of the funeral of Ava White following her fatal stabbing in November last year
The jury heard a series of text messages sent between the boy and his mother, including one in which he said: ‘I’m not coming home. Not going the cells.’
During his evidence, the teenager was asked why he had not agreed to give his phone to police.
He said: ‘Because they always take my phone.
‘I have had a few phones took when I was in the police station.’
In March, the boy’s legal team contacted police to tell them the whereabouts of the knife he used to stab Ava.
He was asked in court why he wanted police to have that information and said: ‘Because I’m telling the truth and I didn’t mean to do it.’
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