Boy jailed for life for murdering Liverpool schoolgirl Ava White
The 15 year old will serve a minimum of 13 years behind bars
Last updated 11th Jul 2022
A 15-year-old boy has been sentenced to life in prison, and will serve a minimum of 13 years behind bars, for the murder of Ava White in Liverpool.
The 12 year old Notre Dame Catholic College student was stabbed to death last November, during an argument in the city centre, just hours after a Christmas lights switch on.
In her victim personal statement, Ava’ mother Leanne White spoke of her profound loss
She said: “The moment Ava died is now, yesterday, tomorrow and forever.
“It is the past, the present and the future. It was not just one finite horrific moment in time that happened last whenever, it is not just the moment, hour, and the second our lives became permanently divided into before and after.
“November last year the light of my life was dimmed forever. She was taken in such cruel and tragic circumstances.
“When I think back to that tragic day, I remember how excited she was for Christmas, how happy she was going into the town centre to watch the Christmas lights being switched on.
“Ava was given permission to stay out later than normal - 8.30pm - so she could go to town and then to visit the shops. Never could I imagined that I would never see my beautiful baby alive again.
“How I miss my beautiful girl. My heart is broken. I will never hear her laughter, I will never hold her in my arms. I still hear the laughter and can see the beautiful smiling face of my 12-year-old baby.
“That is all I have to hold on to, precious memories are all I have left of my Ava.”
The Radio City Tower lit up blue in Ava's memory
Her death sparked an outpouring of grief from across Liverpool as hundreds joined a vigil in Church Street in the days that followed, just yards from where the Year 8 pupil was fatally injured.
The Radio City Tower lit up blue in Ava's memory and hundreds of balloons were released during the period of reflection, with many in the crowd wearing tops with Ava's face on.
Many more turned out for Ava's funeral at the Metropolitan Cathedral one month later, with the congregation applauding as Ava's coffin was carried inside.
The Archbishop of Liverpool called Ava a "real character who always brightened up the day by her presence".
Over the course of the trial, the jury and members of the 12-year-old's family watched CCTV of Ava's final moments.
This included footage of the moment the schoolgirl was stabbed and of the sentenced schoolboy fleeing the scene.
The court heard that Ava and the defendant argued after he filmed her without permission.
Footage showed her and her friends approaching the defendant, who was with three other boys.
Police investigator Callum Suggit said: "There are some altercations between Ava and other members of the group and the group travel down Tarleton Street."
CCTV showed Ava running after the defendant and his friends, across Church Street and into Church Alley, before turning in to School Lane.
Footage captured from cameras at the back of the city's Primark store at 8.35pm showed Ava pushing the defendant and him backing away, before raising his hand in front of him, showing a "reflective object".
The video then showed him running away from the scene and Ava holding her hands to her neck.
A friend of Ava White said the schoolgirl was stabbed "out of the blue" by a boy with a "cheeky smile"
Charlotte Newell QC, prosecuting, said: "It's apparent, in that second or two, that is when Ava has received her injury?"
Mr Suggitt said: "It is, yes."
A friend of Ava White said the schoolgirl was stabbed "out of the blue" by a boy with a "cheeky smile".
Pre-recorded evidence from the friend was played at Liverpool Crown Court on the third day of the trial.
The 16-year-old, who was with Ava and other friends on the night, described a "disagreement" with the defendant and his three friends after they were seen filming the group.
She said: "Ava got a bit angry and was just saying, 'Delete the video. You've got my face on there. I don't want to be posted anywhere'."
The witness, who cannot be named for legal reasons, described Ava and the defendant arguing.
She said: "He pushed her. She went to retaliate. He backed away.
"Just out of the blue he's lifted his arm up and caught her in the neck.
"We thought at first he'd punched her. Then he started running.
"At first she stood there. Then she went pale. She started saying, 'Ow. Ow'.
"She was screaming, 'Ow', and she pulled her coat down and we could see all the blood.
"We walked by Primark and she collapsed on the floor."
The friend said the defendant, who appeared in court via video link, had a "cheeky smile".
She told the court she saw him pull something from his waistband.
"He brought it up to Ava's neck," she said.
"It was dead fast."
Another witness, A 15-year-old girl told police in an interview she thought the defendant had punched Ava to the neck so she ran after him, before returning to see Ava lying on the floor.
She said: "I remember her saying to us 'don't leave me'. That's the last words I heard out of her mouth."
She said the friends had been in the city centre when they noticed the defendant with three other boys filming Ava and asked them to delete the videos.
The witness claimed she had argued with the defendant.
She said: "He was going 'you scruff, you scruff' and calling me a slag and all that."
Nick Johnson QC, defending, told Liverpool Crown Court the boy said that was not true.
The girl said the group of four boys had walked away but then the defendant shouted back to them "look at the state of youse" and Ava "flipped".
She said: "Obviously Ava was already angry and she wasn't going to sit there and let a boy speak to her like that."
Ava died as a result of a stab wound to her neck
The court heard police went to the home address of the defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at 9.10pm, just over half an hour after Ava was stabbed.
In a statement, PC Michael Eccleston said his mother answered the door and rang the youth but he refused to tell police where he was and hung up after speaking to Pc Eccleston's colleague.
PC Eccleston said the defendant was arrested after he was seen walking down a street at about 10.30pm.
He said the boy attempted to get away from a police vehicle by sprinting past him but he blocked the boy's path with his body.
Home Office pathologist Dr Jonathan Medcalf said Ava died as a result of the stab wound to her neck, which was approximately five to six centimetres long and damaged her windpipe and jugular vein, causing catastrophic bleeding.
He said he believed a moderate degree of force was used.
He added: "I can't say it was severe but I can't say it was gentle. I don't think it was mild force, for example."
The court heard the blade of the knife measured seven and a half centimetres from tip to hilt.
As the prosecution wrapped up their case, Liverpool Crown Court heard in his first interview, on November 26, the defendant denied having been in the city centre that evening and said he was at a friend's house playing Call Of Duty on a Playstation 4.
He told officers he did not want to give them information about his mobile phone because he did not want them to take it.
Police told him they would find out his phone number but he responded: "I'm not bothered."
When officers asked him why he thought he was being interviewed he answered "I don't f** know", the court heard.
Police told him they believed he was involved in Ava's murder and asked if they were wrong, to which he said: "You've asked me like 100 times."
When they asked again if they were wrong, he said: "Yeah, you are."
The defendant admitted being in the city centre in his second interview, on November 27, after being shown CCTV, the court heard.
He claimed his friend had been "fronted" by a boy with a "big knife" after he filmed Ava and her friends "drunk on the floor".
He said: "They made him delete the video and then they were like 'do you want me to stab you up' and that."
He said the group also threatened they would "batter" him.
In a third interview, when he was shown footage of the moment Ava was stabbed, the defendant started to cry and when questioning resumed after a short break he told officers the name of another boy he claimed had stabbed her, jurors were told.
He said he knew the boy a "little bit" and told police: "He told me to wear all of his clothes and I burnt all of my clothes."
He said the boy had promised to give him money for swapping the clothes.
He answered "no comment" when officers asked him what the truth was and why he lied
When officers questioned him about the story he said: "OK, you say it was me then, you say it was me."
The interview ended after the defendant got up, became agitated and tried to leave the room, the jury was told.
In a fourth interview, the court heard, the teenager told police he knew what was going to happen to him and said: "I'm going to go to care."
He answered "no comment" when asked about his movements on the day of Ava's death.
In a final interview, on November 28, police asked again about his account of the other boy and he admitted he had made it up.
He answered "no comment" when officers asked him what the truth was and why he had lied.
Detective Chief Inspector Judith Blease, said:
"All of our thoughts and deepest sympathies today are with Ava White’s mum Leanne White, her dad Robert Martin and sister Mia who are clearly still struggling to come to terms with the heart-breaking loss of their daughter and sister.
"Since Ava’s senseless murder on that horrific night on Thursday 25 November last year they have suffered immeasurable grief and distress.
“I would like to thank the officers involved in the investigation for helping secure a conviction, as well as the family liaison officers who continue to help Ava’s family through this tragic process.
“Ava’s friends, while themselves experiencing the tragedy of losing a close friend at a young age, have also been a source of great comfort and support for her family.
“Following the tragedy of Ava’s death, the people of Liverpool did what they do best and came together to show their support for Ava’s family and send a very clear message about knife crime, and I know that was of great comfort to the family and will continue to be in the difficult years ahead.”