Ava White

12-year-old went out with friends on night of Christmas lights switch-on and did not come home.

For the family it was obviously a gruelling, emotional trial, not least because the court was shown footage of the stabbing. It was a senseless death, one that is difficult to read into for wider lessons. It was one of many examples of CCTV shown to the jury. Staff from the nearby Liverpool One shopping centre tried to stem the bleeding but it was too late. “Liverpool is a city built on compassion and solidarity, and we must take a unified stance – it is not acceptable, for any reason, to carry knives. Her future has been stolen and the lives of her family and friends shattered.

Ava White was stabbed to death in Liverpool city centre after a Christmas lights switch-on event.

Adjourning the case for sentencing on 11 July, the judge told the boy that "in light of the jury's verdict, I think you know I can only impose a life sentence, but what I have to do is decide what the shortest amount of time that you will have to serve in custody is". Following legal discussions, the jury was not told that in one interview, he told an officer to "shut up" and called him a derogatory term, while in another, he referred to "smoking weed". He told the court he had lied to police because he thought he would "get away with it", adding: "I was scared I was going to go to jail." He told police he had not been in the city centre, but in later interviews, he went on to blame another boy for the stabbing. The boy told the jury he heard one of Ava's group threaten to stab his friend if he did not delete a video of Ava. Mrs Justice Amanda Yip told the boy that in light of the verdict, he would face a life sentence, but she was still to decide "what the shortest amount of time that you will have to serve in custody is".

The teen murderer moaned 'go on, blame it on me' while telling lie after lie.

I have had a few phones took when I was in the police station." "We have worked closely with the victim's family to help them to understand what was happening. In a fourth interview, he repeatedly told police "go on, blame it on me" and complained that he would be made to go into care. He was given a fidget toy, which the jury was told could help him concentrate, due to his ADHD. He was also questioned why he hadn't agreed to give his phone to the police. It was only in a fifth interview he admitted lying about the other boy being responsible. Boy A suggested this innocent boy made him swap clothes after the killing and said he would pay him. Detectives said he would get it back, to which he replied "what in like eight months when it won't fit?" Prosecutors outlined a series of lies he told police - including giving a "false alibi" and blaming another boy for the stabbing. Boy A said Ava's group had then talked about how they were going to "batter" him, but he still denied being there when she was stabbed. Following legal discussions, it was decided the jury would not hear that he then told an officer: "Shut up you nonce." When phoned by his mum and told detectives were looking for him, he hung up, then texted her: "Gonna end up going the cells for nothing."

Ava White was stabbed to death after a "chance encounter" with the teenage boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on the night the Christmas lights ...

"I was just trying to get her away because I was scared," the boy said. Not going the cells." At trial the boy claimed he acted in self-defence and ran away afterwards because he was scared. He said he thought Ava was a boy and he did not know if she was "in possession of a weapon". The boy claimed at trial that he was "scared" Ava was going to "jump him" after she came towards him and he heard someone say: "Delete the f****** video now, lad." After the boy was arrested, he told a "series of lies" about his movements on the day of the attack, including that he was playing Call of Duty at a friend's house at the time of the killing.

A boy is accused of killing 12-year-old Ava White in Liverpool after a Christmas lights switch-on event.

After he was arrested, he initially told police he had not been in the city centre, but in later interviews blamed another boy for the stabbing. The court was told after the stabbing, the boy ran away, discarded his knife and took off his coat, which was later found in a wheelie bin. The court has heard Ava and her friends became involved in an argument with the defendant and three of his friends after the boys recorded videos of her group.

Jury hears troubled circumstances of boy, 14, as he is found guilty of murdering 12-year-old girl in Liverpool last autumn.

I have had a few phones took when I was in the police station.” Ava was “not at all happy about being filmed and made that plain” and when she confronted Boy A, his reaction was “not to turn and run… or to slap or punch her, or try to grab her arms or ask anybody in the crowd for assistance… The young boy denied murdering Ava, initially telling officers he was playing the video game Call Of Duty with his friends. He occasionally played with “fidget toys” to help him deal with his ADHD and focus. Emotions ran high at Liverpool Crown Court when the verdict was delivered, with loud cheers from Ava’s family – some jumping out of their seats and punching the air in joy – while jurors were seen wiping away tears.