First Images of Teenage Killer Kian Moulton Emerge After Legal Victory
The first photographs of the teenager who brutally murdered innocent schoolboy Leo Ross have been released to the public this afternoon. Following a successful legal challenge by BirminghamLive, images of 15-year-old Kian Moulton, including one showing him posing with a dog and another where he glowers at the camera, are now in the public domain.
Legal Battle Over Identity Ends
The decision to name Moulton comes after a court order restricting his identity was overturned by a High Court judge at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday, February 10. Due to further legal considerations, no media outlet disclosed his name until BirminghamLive did so this morning, Thursday, February 12. Moulton, who was 14 at the time of the crime, fatally stabbed 12-year-old Leo in the stomach at Trittiford Mill Park in Hall Green around 3:30 pm on January 21 last year.
A Three-Day Rampage of Violence
The random, unprovoked, and senseless killing marked the culmination of a three-day rampage in the park, during which Moulton also attacked three elderly women. Living nearby, he terrorised the nature reserve, cycling around in search of vulnerable people to target. Last month, Moulton formally admitted to murder, two offences of inflicting grievous bodily harm, assault, and possession of a knife in public. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of just 13 years, meaning he could be released at age 27.
Chilling Confession and Ongoing Violence
Moulton confessed his guilt long before the court hearing. In a chilling note discovered in his custodial room in July last year, he wrote: “I’m not going to lie. I will hold my hands up and say that I done it. I stabbed him. Lower right stomach.” It was also revealed that while in custody, he has been involved in further incidents of violence towards staff, fellow inmates, and himself.
Judge's Stern Rebuke
Justice Choudhury, while passing sentence, branded Moulton's actions as ‘cowardly’ for targeting vulnerable individuals. He stated that Moulton lacked ‘basic insight’ into the consequences of his deeds. The judge remarked: “There is some suggestion in the reports that you are young for your age. However, it seems to me that your actions around the time of your offending indicate quite sophisticated, devious and callous thinking designed to throw people off your trail or to extract additional amusement from what you had done. I do not regard your perceived immaturity as in any way mitigating what you did.”
