A teenager who has been jailed for murdering a 'kind-hearted' 12-year-old girl after a row over a Snapchat video told lie after lie to try and escape justice for his crime.
Ava White was stabbed in the neck in Liverpool city centre on November 25 last year. Her killer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was yesterday (Monday) handed a life sentence with a minimum of 13 years.
He was convicted following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court. And during the 12 days of evidence jurors were told of the 'callous' way in which he tried to cover his tracks reports the Liverpool Echo.
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Prosecutors said the defendant, known only as Boy A, who is now 15 but was 14 at the time of the offence, originally told police he was not in the city centre on the evening of Ava’s death and was at a friend’s house playing Call Of Duty on a PlayStation 4.
He then admitted being in the city centre in his second police interview, once he was shown CCTV. Boy A had agreed he only accepted he had been in town because police had footage proving it.
“Boy A, of course, had lied about where he was”, then he “quite ruthlessly blamed a real person” Charlotte Newell, prosecuting, said. “Boy A tells a lie until it’s proved wrong, then he moves onto another one."
"At every turn he's sought to adapt his case", and referred to evidence given by Boy A as: “lies told by a teenager who knows right from wrong" Ms Newell added.
The QC said Boy A couldn’t admit he had killed Ava initially, as: “Otherwise it would expose his callous disregard for Ava, taking selfies, eating crumpets and playing Call of Duty, knowing he had stabbed her.”
The jury was shown a CCTV clip of Boy A and his friends after the stabbing. They entered a shop, where he and another arranged their hair before taking a selfie.
Boy A was arrested three days later and has remained in custody ever since. Despite the lies, a jury convicted Boy A of murder after two hours and eight minutes of deliberations, having heard evidence over the course of 12 days.
The trial heard Ava and a group of friends, aged between 11 and 15, had shared small bottles of vodka and were "messing around" near the Royal Court Theatre on Roe Street on the evening November 25, 2021. Footage showed them "dancing and singing" before being told to move on by security staff at around 8.15pm.
They headed to Williamson Square and Richmond Street, where Ava and another girl were seen lying on the ground. Boy A walked by with three friends - Boys B, C and D, aged 13 to 15 - who were said to laugh and film the victim on their phones.
Boy A shared one video on Snapchat. Prosecutors said "angry" Ava demanded they delete any videos and tried to grab Boy C's phone. Jurors were told two masked boys who knew Ava's group came over - Boys F and G - and told Boy C, 16, to delete a video.
Boy A said they held a "big knife" to Boy C's stomach and threatened "delete the f***ing video now or I'm gonna stab you". After Boy C deleted his video, Boys F and G walked away.
An autistic man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he later saw Boys F and G run past with a "Rambo knife". Boy A's group and Ava's friends walked up Tarleton Street as they continued to argue.
Prosecutors said Boy A's group "jeered" at Ava when she lay down in Church Street, before she and her friends ran after them up Church Alley. Charlotte Newell QC, prosecuting, said Ava pushed Boy A on School Lane at around 8.35pm.
CCTV showed him moving backwards before he pulled out his knife and plunged it 5cm into her neck, damaging her jugular vein and causing "catastrophic bleeding". Ms Newell said his reaction had not been to turn and run, or slap or punch Ava but was "instead to thrust a knife into the neck of this unarmed child."
Jailing Boy A, Justice Yip said: "We have heard this morning that she was kind-hearted. Her family were proud of the certificates awarded to her for her kindness. Ava was also fearless. Her cousin said she thought she was invincible.
"At the age of 12, she had every right to think that. When she went out that evening to have some fun in town, no-one could ever have imagined she would be killed - least of all Ava.
"Ava’s death has left a huge hole in the lives of her family and friends. It is a hole that will never be filled. Ava will never grow up and fulfill her dreams. She will be remembered by many, and their lives will be marked forever.
"The way in which Ava met her death shocked this city. For a young girl to be stabbed in the neck in the city centre while many people, including children, were there to enjoy the turning on of the Christmas lights is truly shocking."
Sentencing, Justice Yip added: "Unlike Ava you will still have a chance to grow up, but your life has been changed forever. You will only be released if you can show you are no longer a danger.
"Because of your age, you may be released while you are still a young man. I know that will seem unfair to Ava’s family when they have lost the chance to see her grow up. I accept that you did not go out that evening intending to kill, or even to hurt, anyone. You did not know Ava.
"You came across each other by chance. It is a tragedy that the events leading to Ava’s death started with something so small.
"There was a bit of what looked like pushing and shoving between you, and that is exactly where it should have ended. You could have run away and escaped, just as you did after you stabbed Ava.
"You chose instead to get your knife out. You did not give her any chance to back off. You did not show her the knife or shout a warning, you simply swung at her - plunging the knife into her neck. The whole thing happened so quickly.
"Only a minute after Ava was seen running towards Church Alley, she had been stabbed."
Ava's mother also gave her "heartfelt thanks" to the people of Liverpool for their support following the murder.
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