Ava White's mum has delivered a powerful message to parents after her daughter's killer was sentenced.
12-year-old Ava was fatally stabbed in the neck in Liverpool city centre on November 25, 2021. Her killer, aka Boy A, from South Liverpool, who was convicted of murder in May, cannot be named for legal reasons.
Then aged 14, he stabbed the Year 8 Notre Dame Catholic College pupil with a flick knife after an argument about him filming her on Snapchat. At Liverpool Crown Court on Monday (July 11), he was locked up for a minimum of 13 years.
READ MORE: Ava White murderer, 15, will not be named as judge refuses to lift restrictions
In a video released by Merseyside Police after the sentencing of Boy A, Leanne White spoke about the heartbreak of losing her daughter, the effect on her family and urged parents to keep a close eye on what their children are buying online.
Describing Ava, she said: "Ava was a good baby, she never cried, she never moaned - she was always happy, a bubbly, outgoing, the life and soul of the party little girl.
"She loved swimming, gymnastics, she loved travelling, she loved the fair, she loved the water parks, just very outgoing. Football as well, she won trophies for football.
Leanne added: "The effect on my family is that I can’t see my nieces and nephews any more, we can’t celebrate anything as a family, it’s just too painful and hurtful without Ava. It’s had a deep impact on her friends, her friends witnessed that night, things that no child should ever witness.
"Even the adults that came to Ava’s aid on that night, it’s had a deep impact on them as well."
Speaking about how to avoid similar tragedies happening in the future, Leanne said: She said: " I think education is key.
"I think we need to be going into primary schools and starting at a young age to educate the kids of what carrying a knife does, the effects that it has on the families and the child that’s lost their life and the family.
"If you put a knife in your pocket, you’re intending to use it. You’re not only destroying your own life but the life of your family as well.
"I think more parents maybe need to be aware of what their kids are actually buying online - when it’s getting delivered, who’s paying for it, because the knives that these kids are carrying around now are just not normal kitchen knives, they’re flick knives, they’re pen knives, they’re hunting knives. So, who’s paying for them? Who’s taking the delivery?"
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