Ava White's older sister made a touching promise during the sentencing of her sibling's murderer.
Ava was knifed in the neck in Liverpool city centre on November 25, 2021 after going to the Christmas light switch on event. Her killer, known in Liverpool Crown Court as Boy A, from South Liverpool, 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. Prosecutors alleged the teen laughed and ran away.
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During the boys sentencing, Ava's family including her mum, Leanne, 18-year-old sister, Mia and her dad, Robert Martin, all read out touching statements about the teenager. During Mia's statement, she promised to deliver talks to youths in Liverpool on the effect of knife crime.
In her victim impact statement, she said: "The society that we live in today needs to be educated on how the ripple effect of knife crime affects families, the damage that it causes and most importantly any families affected by murder are left with a life sentence to live that never ends. No early release nothing.
"I want to help our youths in this city and I hope to be able to do so once my grief has eased by delivering talks on how the ripple effect of knife crime affects families and hopefully if I can change at least one child’s mind about using a knife I would have accomplished something special.
"The day my sister died is now, yesterday, tomorrow and forever."
The 18-year-old went on to talk about life with her "loving sister" and spoke of how she misses her. She told the court: "Since that horrific evening of 25th November 2021, my life has come to a standstill, from the minute my 12-year-old sister Ava was taken from us to now as I am speaking to you in this courtroom, I am a shadow of my former big loving sister to Ava.
"I have always spent most of my time with Ava on either days out together or every night we would sit on each other’s bed talking about how our day had gone and enjoy each other’s company giggling in our room. I even miss her sneaking into my room to rob my make up thinking that I did not notice but I always did. We were both very competitive against each other and would regularly race each other in everything and to be fair Ava would always win.
"When I see youths hanging around the streets, I become anxious to walk past them in case they could carrying a knife which in turn causes me to experience feelings of fear and panic and an inability to cope with situations as I previously once did. Every day I experience flashbacks and nightmares of that horrific night on the 25th November 2021, the trial that we had to endure and the aftermath of the inhumane attack upon my 12 year-old-sister Ava.
"The unnecessary horrendous murder of my sister has really shocked and frightened me as to how a 14-year-old boy could go to such lengths to make him unidentifiable, to cover up a serious murder in such a cold and calculated way. A 14-year-old boy should be enjoying being a child not taking the life of another child."
Boy A, from South Liverpool, knifed Year 8 Notre Dame Catholic College pupil Ava with a flick knife after an argument about him filming her on Snapchat before laughing and running away. The teen then ditched the weapon, his designer coat and mobile phone in a "cover up" before taking selfies, buying crumpets and playing video games.
He gave a false alibi to police and blamed another boy for killing Ava before changing his story and claiming to have acted in self-defence. But a jury convicted him 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 fulfil 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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