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."

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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."

(c) Sky News 2025: Teenager who murdered 12-year-old Ava White named for first time