A teenager described as 'cowardly' by a judge has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of thirteen years for the brutal murder of twelve-year-old Leo Ross in a Birmingham park. The horrific attack occurred as the young victim was walking home from school in January last year, sending shockwaves through the local community.
Fatal Attack on Innocent Schoolboy
Leo Ross, a pupil at Christ Church High School, was fatally stabbed in the abdomen at Trittiford Mill Park in Hall Green around 3.30pm on January 21, 2025. The twelve-year-old had been arranging to meet a friend at their regular meeting spot near a particular tree when he was attacked. Despite emergency services restarting his heart at the scene, Leo succumbed to his injuries in hospital four hours later, devastating his family and friends.
Pattern of Violence Against Vulnerable Victims
The court heard how the defendant, who was fourteen at the time of the murder and has since turned fifteen, had engaged in a disturbing pattern of violence in the days leading up to Leo's death. In what the sentencing judge described as deliberately targeting 'people weaker and smaller', the teenager attacked three elderly women in the same park within forty-eight hours of the fatal stabbing.
On January 19, the defendant pushed an eighty-two-year-old woman into the River Cole before striking her repeatedly with her own walking pole, telling her: 'I tried to drown you but now I'm going to kill you instead'. The victim suffered multiple serious injuries including a broken nose, broken rib, and broken fingers, genuinely fearing for her life during the assault.
The following day, he targeted a seventy-two-year-old woman, causing her to fall heavily and sustain injuries including a broken thigh, broken rib, and collapsed lung. Just hours before murdering Leo, the teenager attacked a seventy-nine-year-old woman, pushing her to the ground before cycling past and smiling as passersby helped her.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
At Birmingham Crown Court, Mr Justice Akhlaq Choudhury lifted reporting restrictions on the teenager's identity while passing sentence. The judge told the defendant he would remain in custody until at least twenty-seven years of age, emphasising the gravity of his crimes against vulnerable victims.
'Leo was an innocent boy, only twelve, he was loved by all who knew him. He had his whole future ahead of him,' Justice Choudhury stated during sentencing. 'What you did last January was horrific, shocking. You went around a park looking for people to hurt. You chose people weaker and smaller than you, three elderly ladies and a little boy.'
Attempts to Conceal Guilt
Following the fatal stabbing, the teenager remained at the scene, telling members of the public about a 'young lad who has been stabbed' and even speaking to the first police officer to arrive, claiming to have discovered the injured boy. He was initially allowed to go home, but CCTV evidence later captured him disposing of the murder weapon in parkland near the River Cole.
The defendant was arrested approximately thirty minutes before Leo was pronounced dead, initially on suspicion of attacking the second elderly woman. Remarkably, he commented to the arresting officer: 'Did you hear what happened down by the duck pond? A kid got stabbed, police all down there.'
Family Impact and Mental Health Considerations
The court heard powerful victim impact statements from Leo's devastated family. His mother described him as 'the most kind, funny, and caring little boy who didn't have a bad bone in his body', while his father directly addressed the defendant, stating: 'You killed my son Leo Ross. Your horrendous act destroyed me. I will never be the same again.'
Defence barrister Alistair Webster KC acknowledged the impossibility of providing 'a logical reason' for the teenager's actions, revealing 'formidable mental health problems which present an alarming picture'. The defendant has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and a conduct disorder, with a history of self-harm, suicide attempts, and hearing voices.
While in youth detention, the teenager wrote a note admitting: 'I'm not going to lie. I will hold my hands up and say that I done it. I stabbed him. Lower right stomach.' Justice Choudhury acknowledged the defendant's difficult childhood but emphasised that 'many people have tough childhoods, they don't turn to violence' in his sentencing remarks.
