A 14-year-old boy has been found guilty of murdering the 12-year-old Liverpool schoolgirl Ava White after he stabbed her in the neck in a row over a video posted on Snapchat.
The boy stabbed her and then showed a “callous disregard” for his actions, seeming “rather pleased with himself, as if he feels big”, Liverpool crown court heard during a 12-day trial.
The boy, who has a legal right to anonymity, had denied murder and manslaughter, claiming he accidentally stabbed Ava in self-defence.
But a jury took two hours and eight minutes to return a guilty verdict. More than 20 members of Ava’s family were in the public gallery and there were cheers when it arrived.
The boy, who becomes one of the UK’s youngest convicted murderers, put his head in his hands.
The trial judge, Mrs Justice Yip, said he would be sentenced on 11 July but warned the boy: “In light of the jury’s verdict, I think you know I can only impose a life sentence. What I have to do is decide what the shortest amount of time that you will have to serve in custody is.”
Ava was with friends to watch the switching on of the Christmas lights in Liverpool city centre on 25 November last year.
She was, said the prosecutor, Charlotte Newell QC, having the “time of her life” as she larked about in a group of about 10 children.
At some point, in a chance meeting, a group of four boys aged up to 15 started filming the antics. Ava took exception to the filming and went toward the defendant, demanding he delete footage that he posted on Snapchat, the court heard.
The boy’s defence lawyer, Nick Johnson QC, had said Ava, who was 5cm taller than the defendant, was the “aggressor” and wanted “to batter” him.
Newell said the jury had to consider the boy’s behaviour after the incident. Friends of Ava said the boy smirked and laughed after he stabbed her. He ran from the scene, abandoning the knife and his coat.
The jury was shown CCTV footage of the boy and his friends going into a shop, where they bought butter, which he said was for crumpets, and he was seen arranging his hair for a selfie.
CCTV footage also showed without question that he was the person who stabbed Ava but he denied being there, telling police he was playing Call of Duty with a friend. In later interviews he blamed another boy for the stabbing.
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.”
She said the boy’s young age was not a defence. “He is not a babe in arms, he knows right from wrong. 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.”
The boy, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, appeared at the trial via video link from a secure unit, often using fidget toys to help him concentrate on proceedings. He was accompanied by an intermediary.
Speaking outside court, DS Sue Coombs said the force’s thoughts were with the family.
“Her mum and dad and sister are still completely devastated by what’s happened to Ava and it has been heartbreaking for them to witness Ava’s final moments during this court process,” she added.
It was a trial that relied heavily on CCTV footage. The jury saw the clear high spirits of Ava and her friends in Liverpool city centre, sitting in plant pots, sitting on top of each other, dancing, singing, falling over and running around a Christmas tree.
They also saw the fatal moment when the boy stabbed her, with Ava standing in front of the boy who had his right arm raised. In his right hand was a “reflective item”.
The jury heard edited transcripts of five police interviews carried out in the days following his arrest. His answers to questions included numerous no comments as well as “I’m not bothered” and “I don’t fucking know”.
Asked why he lied to police, he replied: “I was scared I was going to go to jail.” The knife, which had a 7.5cm blade, was found in March after the boy’s legal team contacted police to tell them of its whereabouts.
During one interview session he told an officer “shut up you nonce” as he was questioned, although following legal discussions the jury was not told that.
The murder, on one of the city’s busiest streets at one of the busiest times of the year, shocked Liverpool. A vigil in the city centre was held 12 days after and hundreds of mourners gathered at the city’s Catholic cathedral two days before Christmas Day to see her off.
Her coffin was covered in family photographs of Ava, a year 8 student at Notre Dame Catholic college. Mourners wore clothes that were purple, pink, red and blue – anything but black at the request of the family.
