Teenager who stabbed 12-year-old Ava White named as he turns 18
Harry Gilbertson was 14 when he carried out the attack on the schoolgirl on November 25 2021.
The following year, he was convicted of her murder after a trial and, at 15, he was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years for her murder.
Reporting restrictions preventing Gilbertson from being identified were kept in place until he turned 18, despite representations from the media, which were supported by Ava's family.
Ava's mother Leeann White, 42, said: 'I wanted the whole world to know who he was. I think Liverpool had the right to know who he was as well.'
She said since the trial, she had been told very little about Gilbertson, but had learnt he had done his GCSEs.
Speaking through tears, she said: 'It should have been Ava sitting her GCSEs, not him.'
Ava White, who died after she was stabbed following an argument in Liverpool city centre (Trinity RC Primary School/PA)
On Ava's 15th birthday, in January 2024, Ms White's nephew was sent a photograph from a seemingly fake Snapchat profile which appeared to show Gilbertson posing for the camera with his arms crossed alongside another male whose face had been covered on the photo with a logo and who had his middle finger up.
Ms White reported the photo and was told Gilbertson had been using an iPad for educational purposes and there was a glitch in the system allowing him to use the internet, but was also told the photo had been taken while he was on a visit.
She said she was told he had been 'read the riot act' but had no formal punishment.
She said: 'He didn't get any privileges taken off him. He just got a telling off basically.'
She said she felt 'really angry' when she saw the picture.
'I can never have a photograph with my child now so why does he have the right? He lost his rights when he murdered my child,' she said
Harry Gilbertson running on School Lane following the incident where Ava White was stabbed (Merseyside Police/PA)
Ms White, who has set up a foundation in Ava's name that provides bleed control kits to premises, said she had mixed emotions about Gilbertson being named.
'I try not to think about him if I'm being honest, because if I do, I'm just taking a million steps back,' she said.
'So I just try to focus on Ava and doing stuff for her legacy is more important to me than thinking about him.'
When making the decision to keep reporting restrictions in place, trial judge Mrs Justice Yip said there were concerns for Gilbertson's younger siblings, one of whom had not been told their brother was on trial for murder.
Ms White said: 'Yet I had to sit my little nephews and nieces down and tell them about Ava, but they could hide everything for him. I feel like they've done everything they can to protect him and his family.'
She said she felt her own family had 'nowhere near' the same protection.
Ava had been in the city centre with friends on the night the Christmas lights were being switched on. The group became involved in an argument with Gilbertson and his friends, who had been filming Snapchat videos of them.
Gilbertson was carrying a knife and struck Ava once to the neck, causing her fatal injury, before fleeing the scene, discarding the weapon and getting rid of his coat.
He was seen on CCTV in a shop later that night taking a selfie and buying butter, which he said was for crumpets.
Ms White added: 'I think he's got understanding (of what he's done), he's quite a clever child.
'He's got understanding, he's just got no remorse.
'It really doesn't feel like justice. He still gets to live and breathe. My Ava doesn't. His mum can see him getting married, having a baby. I'm never going to have that with Ava.'
Ava White, with mother Leeann and sister Mia (Merseyside Police/PA)
Since Ava's death, Ms White, along with Ava's older sister Mia and her aunt June White, have worked through the Ava White Foundation to provide hundreds of bleed control kits in the hope they can prevent other families from going through what they experienced.
At least six lives have been saved thanks to the kits provided by the Ava White Foundation, Ms White said.
The packs, which include gauze, trauma dressings and tourniquets, are delivered to schools, pubs and businesses and training is given on how to use them.
When a 14-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy were stabbed in Kirkby, Merseyside, in April, a bleed control kit donated in Ava's name to a nearby pub was used to help treat the children, who were both taken to hospital but survived.
Ms White said: 'I think every establishment should have one. The way knife crime is, it's not going down, it's getting worse. Everyone needs to be aware of this training, it's so easy.'
She said hearing of other children killed through knife crime made her 'sad for the child but more so for the mum and what she's got to go through now'.
Since Ava's death she no longer has 'good days' but has 'OK days and really bad days', she said.
She added: 'What keeps me going is I'm keeping Ava's name out there and that's more important to me, to keep Ava's name out there so she's not forgotten.'
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Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Evil teen who murdered 12-year-old Ava White at Christmas light switch on is unmasked for first time as he turns 18
Ava's mother has spoken out after the teen was identified KILLER UNMASKED Evil teen who murdered 12-year-old Ava White at Christmas light switch on is unmasked for first time as he turns 18 THE teenager who fatally stabbed 12-year-old Ava White at a Christmas light display can be named for the first time as he turns 18. Harry Gilbertson was 14 when he carried out the attack on the schoolgirl in Liverpool city centre in November 2021. 5 Ava's family were sent a Snapchat picture of Gilbertson taunting them on her 15th birthday Credit: PA 5 Ava suffered 'devastating injuries' and tragically passed away shortly after being taken to hospital Credit: PA The following year, Gilbertson was convicted of her murder after a trial and sentenced to a minimum of 13 years in prison. Reporting restrictions preventing him from being identified were kept in place until he turned 18 - despite appeals from the media, which were supported by Ava's family. The schoolgirl was just 12 years old when she was killed after being stabbed in the neck outside a clothing shop at a Christmas lights display. Gilbertson had launched the devastating attack after a petty row over a Snapchat video. Ava suffered "devastating injuries" and tragically passed away shortly after being taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Her mother, Leeann White, 42, said: "I wanted the whole world to know who he was. "I think Liverpool had the right to know who he was as well. "I try not to think about him if I'm being honest, because if I do, I'm just taking a million steps back. "So I just try to focus on Ava and doing stuff for her legacy is more important to me than thinking about him." In January 2024, Ms White's family was sent a photograph from a Snapchat account which appeared to show Gilbertson with his arms crossed. In the picture - sent on Ava's 15th birthday - he posed with another male whose face had been covered up and who had his middle finger up. Ms White reported the photo and was told Gilbertson had been using an iPad for educational purposes, but a glitch had allowed him to access the internet. My daughter Ava White was killed by schoolboy… kids as young as TWELVE need to be searched or tragedy could strike again She was told he had been "read the riot act" but had no formal punishment. She added: "He didn't get any privileges taken off him. He just got a telling off basically. "I can never have a photograph with my child now so why does he have the right? "He lost his rights when he murdered my child." At the trial, Liverpool Crown Court heard that the killer had filmed Ava and her friends. He posted the footage to Snapchat, which Ava insisted he delete. Prosecuting KC Charlotte Newell told the court that he "thrust a knife into the neck of this unarmed child". The defendant claimed he stabbed Ava 'accidentally' and in self-defence, denying murder and manslaughter, but was found guilty of murder at Liverpool Crown Court. On July 11, 2022, Gilbertson was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 13 years after the jury deliberated for two hours and eight minutes. Appearing in the youth court via video link, he put his head in his hands and sobbed upon hearing the verdict. Ava's heartbroken family have been very vocal about the impact her death has had and about knife crime in the UK. Speaking 12 months after the horrific night, Ava's mother, Leanne, told BBC Radio Merseyside: "I just remember getting a phone call off my sister saying Ava had been stabbed. "I can remember thinking she's made some kind of mistake… Ava won't have been stabbed. "I went straight up to Alder Hey and then everything was just a blur. "It's easier for the offender to do the crime, get 13 years in jail and come out after that. "It's us doing the life sentence, and Ava." 5 Gilbertson launched the devastating attack after a petty row over a Snapchat video Credit: PA 5 Gilbertson was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 13 years Credit: PA
ITV News
an hour ago
- ITV News
Teenager who stabbed 12-year-old Ava White in Liverpool named as he turns 18
The teenager who fatally stabbed 12-year-old Ava White in Liverpool city centre can be named for the first time as he turns 18. Harry Gilbertson was 14 when he carried out the attack on the schoolgirl on 25 November 2021. The following year, he was convicted of her murder after a trial and, at 15, he was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years for her murder. Reporting restrictions preventing Gilbertson from being identified were kept in place until he turned 18, despite representations from the media, which were supported by Ava's family. Ava's mother Leeann White, 42, said: 'I wanted the whole world to know who he was. I think Liverpool had the right to know who he was as well.' She said since the trial, she had been told very little about Gilbertson, but had learnt he had done his GCSEs. Speaking through tears, she said: 'It should have been Ava sitting her GCSEs, not him.' On Ava's 15th birthday, in January 2024, Ms White's nephew was sent a photograph from a seemingly fake Snapchat profile which appeared to show Gilbertson posing for the camera with his arms crossed alongside another male whose face had been covered on the photo with a logo and who had his middle finger up. Ms White reported the photo and was told Gilbertson had been using an iPad for educational purposes and there was a glitch in the system allowing him to use the internet, but was also told the photo had been taken while he was on a visit. She said she was told he had been 'read the riot act' but had no formal punishment. She said: 'He didn't get any privileges taken off him. He just got a telling off basically.' She said she felt 'really angry' when she saw the picture. 'I can never have a photograph with my child now so why does he have the right? He lost his rights when he murdered my child,' she said. Ms White, who has set up a foundation in Ava's name that provides bleed control kits to premises, said she had mixed emotions about Gilbertson being named. 'I try not to think about him if I'm being honest, because if I do, I'm just taking a million steps back,' she said. 'So I just try to focus on Ava and doing stuff for her legacy is more important to me than thinking about him.' When making the decision to keep reporting restrictions in place, trial judge Mrs Justice Yip said there were concerns for Gilbertson's younger siblings, one of whom had not been told their brother was on trial for murder. Ms White said: 'Yet I had to sit my little nephews and nieces down and tell them about Ava, but they could hide everything for him. I feel like they've done everything they can to protect him and his family.' She said she felt her own family had 'nowhere near' the same protection. Ava had been in the city centre with friends on the night the Christmas lights were being switched on. The group became involved in an argument with Gilbertson and his friends, who had been filming Snapchat videos of them. Gilbertson was carrying a knife and struck Ava once to the neck, causing her fatal injury, before fleeing the scene, discarding the weapon and getting rid of his coat. He was seen on CCTV in a shop later that night taking a selfie and buying butter, which he said was for crumpets. Ms White added: 'I think he's got understanding (of what he's done), he's quite a clever child. 'He's got understanding, he's just got no remorse. 'It really doesn't feel like justice. He still gets to live and breathe. My Ava doesn't. His mum can see him getting married, having a baby. I'm never going to have that with Ava.' Since Ava's death, Ms White, along with Ava's older sister Mia and her aunt June White, have worked through the Ava White Foundation to provide hundreds of bleed control kits in the hope they can prevent other families from going through what they experienced. At least six lives have been saved thanks to the kits provided by the Ava White Foundation, Ms White said. The packs, which include gauze, trauma dressings and tourniquets, are delivered to schools, pubs and businesses and training is given on how to use them. When a 14-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy were stabbed in Kirkby, Merseyside, in April, a bleed control kit donated in Ava's name to a nearby pub was used to help treat the children, who were both taken to hospital but survived. Ms White said: 'I think every establishment should have one. The way knife crime is, it's not going down, it's getting worse. Everyone needs to be aware of this training, it's so easy.' She said hearing of other children killed through knife crime made her 'sad for the child but more so for the mum and what she's got to go through now'. Since Ava's death she no longer has 'good days' but has 'OK days and really bad days', she said. She added: 'What keeps me going is I'm keeping Ava's name out there and that's more important to me, to keep Ava's name out there so she's not forgotten.'
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Schoolboy murderer unmasked as Christmas lights killer who stabbed girl turns 18
As Harry Gilbertson turns 18 today, he can now be named as the vicious killer of Ava White, who was stabbed outside Primark moments after a Christmas lights switch-on. A schoolboy murderer who stabbed a girl in the neck at a Christmas light switch on has been pictured for the first time after turning 18. Harry Gilbertson has been named and pictured for the first time after he turned 18 today on Friday June 20 - more than three-and-a-half years after he killed Ava White in Liverpool. He stabbed the girl in the neck following an altercation moments after a Christmas lights switch-on in Liverpool city centre. Gilbertson denied the murder charge but was convicted by a jury in May 2022. He was just 14 at the time of the offence, and 15 when he was jailed for a minimum of 13 years - and so therefore reporting restrictions meant the press was unable to identity the youngster. These cease today, though, because Gilbertson has reached adulthood, reports the Mirror. Reacting to this, Ava's mother, Leeann White, 42, told Mail Online: "It is important the public know who he is. The public know everything about Ava – her name was splashed everywhere when she died. Why shouldn't everyone know what he did? Why should he be protected? "He was the one in the wrong, he was the one who went out that night with a knife... I know he was only a child himself when it happened but children know right from wrong and my child knew not to pick up a knife and stab someone." The stabbing in November 2021 happened after Ava and her friends were approached by a group of boys. A verbal argument followed after one of the boys filmed them, which he later shared on social media site Snapchat. Ava told the boy to stop filming and delete the video and, after the argument continued, Ava was stabbed in the neck with a flick knife. She was rushed to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, where she sadly died a short time later despite the best efforts of medical staff. Since he was sentenced, Gilbertson has been brazenly flaunting rules while inside his secure unit. The picture above shows the now 18-year-old posing for photos published on Snapchat. Leeann added: "The picture was taken on Snapchat. The same social media that he posted the video of Ava on before he murdered her. He has never shown any remorse... I don't call him by his name. I call him the monster." The Mirror has approached the Ministry of Justice for comment regarding Gilbertson's appearance on social media while in detention. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. In the picture shared on Snapchat, Gilbertson, with cropped brown hair and a blue Montirex tracksuit top, stands with his muscular arms crossed, while an unknown associate wearing a grey Nike tracksuit puts up his middle finger to the camera. Merseyside Police and other forces have - and continue to - conduct open land searches, stop searches and carry out targeted operations to attempt to take knives off the streets. However, data from NHS Digital shows there were 3,900 "hospital episodes" recorded in English hospitals in 2023/24 due to assault by a sharp object. This was a 3.3% increase compared to 2022/23, and a 7% increase compared to 2014/15.
