Latest news with #GCSEs
Sky News
5 hours ago
- Sky News
Teenager who murdered 12-year-old Ava White named for first time
The teenager who murdered 12-year-old Ava White in Liverpool can be publicly named for the first time after turning 18. Harry Gilbertson was 14 when he carried out the attack in the city centre back in November 2021. He was convicted of murder the following year - and sentenced to a minimum of 13 years behind bars. Reporting restrictions preventing Gilbertson being identified were kept in place until now, despite requests from the media and Ava's family. Her mother Leeann White said: "I wanted the whole world to know who he was. I think Liverpool had the right to know who he was as well." The 42-year-old added that she has been told little about her daughter's killer but learned he has done his GCSEs. "It should have been Ava sitting her GCSEs, not him," she said. On what would have been Ava's 15th birthday, Ms White's nephew was sent a photograph on Snapchat that appeared to show Gilbertson posing for the camera with his arms crossed, next to another male who had his middle finger up. She reported the photo and was told a glitch meant an iPad that Gilbertson was using for educational purposes could be used to access the internet. "He didn't get any privileges taken off him. He just got a telling off basically," Ms White said. She described being "really angry" when she saw the picture, adding: "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." Ms White said she tries not to think about Gilbertson, because doing so means she is "just taking a million steps back". Judge Mrs Justice Yip kept the reporting restrictions in place over concerns for the killer's younger siblings, as one of them had not been told that their brother was on trial for murder. But Ms White feels her family had "nowhere near" the same protection. "I had to sit my little nephews and nieces down and tell them about Ava, but they could hide everything for him," she said. "I feel like they've done everything they can to protect him and his family." Ms White has now set up a foundation in Ava's name that provides bleed control kits to schools, pubs and businesses - along with training on how to use them. At least six lives have been saved thanks to the kits. "I think every establishment should have one," she said. "The way knife crime is, it's not going down, it's getting worse." Ava was in the city centre with friends as the Christmas lights were turned on, but her group became involved in an argument with Gilbertson and his friends. He was carrying a knife and struck Ava once in the neck, causing her fatal injury. Gilbertson fled the scene, discarded the weapon and his coat, and was seen on CCTV in a shop later that night taking a selfie and buying butter. Ms White said she no longer has "good days" since Ava's death, but has "okay days and really bad days". 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." A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "This was a horrendous crime, and our thoughts remain with the family of Ava White. "No victim should ever have to see their perpetrators appearing online. "We've put in place tough measures to clamp down on the use of social media in prisons and have committed to review how we could extend these controls to all places of custody."
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Teenager who murdered 12-year-old Ava White named for first time
The teenager who fatally stabbed 12-year-old Ava White in Liverpool city centre can now be named as Harry Gilbertson, following the lifting of reporting restrictions as he turns 18. Gilbertson was just 14 years old when he carried out the fatal attack on the schoolgirl on 25 November, 2021. The following year, at the age of 15, he was convicted of her murder after a trial and subsequently sentenced to a minimum of 13 years in prison. Reporting restrictions, which had prevented Gilbertson from being identified publicly, remained in place until his 18th birthday. This was despite representations from various media outlets, a position that was supported by Ava's family, who had also called for his name to be made public. Ava's mother Leeann White said: 'I wanted the whole world to know who he was. I think Liverpool had the right to know who he was as well.' Ms White, 42, said that 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. Ms White 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', Ms White 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.' A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: 'This was an horrendous crime, and our thoughts remain with the family of Ava White. 'No victim should ever have to see their perpetrators appearing online. 'We've put in place tough measures to clamp down on the use of social media in prisons and have committed to review how we could extend these controls to all places of custody.'
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Teenager who stabbed 12-year-old Ava White 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 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.' 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.'
The Sun
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Holly Willoughby reveals dramatic new look as she gives rare insight into family life after eldest finishes his GCSE's
HOLLY Willoughby unveiled a dramatic new look while giving a rare insight into her family life. Taking to Instagram, the presenter, 44, marked her eldest finishing his GCSEs. 4 4 Revealing a brand new look, Holly sported a pair of glasses in the snap. She penned: "Any other mums/dads of 16 year old, post GCSE children suddenly find themselves with a new role of personal party driver? "Mums 'Mini' yes... I'm now a Glasses wearer… game changer! Will tag the details!" One follower commented: "LOVVVVVVE the specs, I got mine 2 years ago and can't be without the accessory now! They are cute." It comes as Holly recently looked happier than ever as she posed in a bikini and cuddled two pals. The star couldn't stop smiling as she sat on the floor with her arms wrapped around Director of Artist Relations at Universal Music, Shiarra Bell, and All Saints star Nicole Appleton. Posting the snap to Instagram, she kept the caption simple with a single red heart emoji, tagging both friends. Holly Willoughby proves blondes do have more fun as she dyes her own hair The former This Morning host's celeb buddies filled the comments section with their well wishes. Emma Bunton wrote: "There's my gorgeous girls!!!" while Lisa Snowdon said: "The cutest pic!" and Christine Lampard inserted a string of heart-eyed emojis. Meanwhile, it has been a testing few years for the former ITV treasure - as she has been left without a TV show for the first time in years. One option for the star could be a reboot of Record Breakers, which Holly's husband Dan Baldwin is already working on. There is currently no channel attached to the show, which is in its very early stages but sources say it would be a "perfect fit". A telly insider said: "Record Breakers is likely to be a prime time hit and it would make perfect sense for Holly to take the reins. "She has worked alongside Dan before and the pair know what it takes to make great telly." She has also been linked to a reboot of Cilla Black's best-known show, Blind Date. The Sun told this week how the ITV classic is being revived - and in a surprise twist will go to global streaming service Disney+. Producers want to keep the tradition of a top British female host, with a shortlist also including Claudia Winkleman and Davina McCall. Sources say Holly is also being looked at for a new Channel 4 talent show, currently dubbed Secret Singers, which is searching for raw, undiscovered singing talent. Love Productions - the creators of The Great British Bake Off and The Piano - have already put out a casting call. An insider said: "This is likely to be a heartwarming and hugely popular show for all the family. "They are looking for a the perfect host to make sure it's a huge success and it could be perfect timing with Holly's break in TV." 4
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
From the drunk girl who knocked her own front teeth out to the father searching the garden bushes with a torch for couples having sex... One teenage girl's hair-raising revelations about post-GCSE party season
As the youngest of four children, and the last teenager still living at home, I know for a fact there is an annual event my mum dreads more than anything else. It's the 'End of GCSEs House Party', where clueless parents stupidly allow their 15 or 16-year-old Year 11 to invite a 'few' friends over to celebrate.
