A Birmingham teenager is due to be sentenced for the fatal stabbing of 12-year-old Leo Ross, in what authorities describe as a random and senseless attack. Leo, a pupil at Christ Church Church of England Secondary Academy, was attacked on January 21, 2025, while walking home along a riverside path in Shire Country Park, Hall Green. He was rushed to hospital but tragically later died from his injuries.
The 15-year-old defendant, who pleaded guilty to Leo’s murder last month, will appear in court on Tuesday, February 10. For legal reasons, his identity has not been disclosed.
According to West Midlands Police, shortly after the stabbing, the teenager lingered at the scene and falsely claimed to officers that he had found Leo’s injured body by chance. He even pretended to be an innocent bystander who raised the alarm, though officers later revealed that he derived a disturbing sense of satisfaction from the chaos his actions caused.
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The defendant was 14 years old at the time of the killing and has also admitted to grievous bodily harm with intent on two separate occasions earlier that month, as well as an assault involving a bladed weapon on the day he killed Leo. Additional charges of assault against other victims remain on file but were not contested.
Investigations revealed that the knife used in the attack was discarded in a nearby river. Police believe the teenager had previously targeted several women in local park areas before this attack.
Leo’s family described him as an “amazing, kind, loving” boy, emphasizing that he had no connection to his attacker and was the victim of a completely random assault.
The sentencing hearing, presided over by Mr Justice Choudhury KC, is expected to last the entire day.