Schoolboy, 14, is found guilty of murdering 12-year-old Ava White who he stabbed in Liverpool
Schoolboy, 14, breaks down in tears as he is found guilty of murdering Ava White at Liverpool Christmas lights switch-on as his 12-year-old victim’s family cheer verdict in court
‘Callous’ boy took selfies and bought butter for crumpets after murdering Ava Refused to answer questions as he ‘wasn’t bothered’ and told officer to ‘shut up’ Jury took two hours and eight minutes to return guilty verdict to murder chargeMore than 20 members of Ava’s family in the public gallery erupted into cheers
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A schoolboy broke down in tears today as he was found guilty of murdering 12-year-old Ava White at a Christmas lights switch-on – while the girl’s family cheered the verdict in court.
The 14-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had claimed he accidentally stabbed Ava in self-defence after a row over a Snapchat video during the festive event in Liverpool.
But a jury took two hours and eight minutes to convict him, with more than 20 members of Ava’s family celebrating in the public gallery after a jury foreman revealed the verdict. The teenager, who appeared on video-link throughout the trial, put his head in his hands.
Liverpool Crown Court was shown CCTV footage of the ‘callous’ boy and his friends after the stabbing going into a shop, where they bought butter which he said was for crumpets and he was seen arranging his hair for a selfie.
Prosecutor Claire Newell said: ‘Knowing he had stabbed her, his behaviour is of someone who is, at best, utterly unconcerned, at worst, rather pleased with himself, as if he feels big.’
During his police interview after murdering Ava the boy repeatedly refused to answer questions, saying he ‘wasn’t bothered’, and said ‘shut up you nonce’ to one of the officers involved in quizzing him.
Mrs Justice Yip told the defendant: “In light of the jury’s verdict, I think you know I can only impose a life sentence, but what I have to do is decide what the shortest amount of time that you will have to serve in custody is.” She adjourned the case for sentencing on July 11.
A 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was today found guilty of the murder of Ava White at a Christmas lights switch-on in Liverpool
A photo released by prosecutors of the knife the boy used to stab the schoolgirl on November 25
Earlier in the trial, the boy told jurors he wanted to ‘frighten [the victim] away’ after a a fight on the evening of November 25 last year.
He admitted possessing the knife, which the court heard had a 7.5cm blade, but denied her murder and manslaughter.
During the trial, which lasted just over two weeks, the court heard Ava and her friends became involved in an argument with the defendant and three of his friends after the boys recorded Snapchat videos of the group.
Friends of Ava said the boy ‘grinned’ after stabbing her in School Lane and running away. The defendant told the jury: ‘I promise, I didn’t mean to hit her.’
He said that earlier in the evening he heard one of Ava’s group threaten to stab his friend if he did not delete a video of Ava.
The court heard that after Ava was struck to the neck the defendant ran away, discarded his knife and took off his coat, which was later found in a wheelie bin.
In his closing speech, Nick Johnson QC, defending, said Ava was part of a group of about 12 children who shared 1.4 litres of vodka on the evening of her death
A court heard how the boy played computer games and ate crumpets after the stabbing (Pictured: Officers searching Liverpool City Centre after the attack)
The boy then went to a friend’s home and when his mother contacted him because police wanted to speak to him he told her he was playing a computer game.
After he was arrested, just after 10.30pm, he initially told police he had not been in the city centre but in later interviews blamed another boy for the stabbing.
Ms Newell told the jury the boy’s age did not matter because he ‘knows right from wrong’.
‘He is not a babe in arms. He was capable of making the decision to carry a knife. He was capable of deciding to use it and he was capable of lying about it over and over and over again.’
She said that in the hour before her death Ava had been ‘having the time of her life with her friends’.
The jury was shown CCTV footage of the boy and his friends after the stabbing going into a shop, where they bought butter which he said was for crumpets and he was seen arranging his hair for a selfie (Pictured: a floral tribute left after Ava’s death)
In his closing speech, Nick Johnson QC, defending, said Ava was part of a group of about 12 children who shared 1.4 litres of vodka on the evening of her death.
He showed CCTV of two of her friends appearing to take chairs from a local business and one girl ‘mouthing off’ at an adult who went to retrieve them.
Mr Johnson said: ‘We have to look at the behaviour of the group, who they are prepared to confront and in what circumstances they are prepared to confront them.’
He said there was an ‘aggressive reaction’ when Ava realised the defendant and his friends had filmed her and Ava’s friends ‘couldn’t control her’.
Mr Johnson told the jury: ‘The evidence can be uncomfortable.’
