Teen murderer Harry Gilbertson named as family vows Ava’s legacy will save others

The brutal murder of 12‑year‑old Ava White shook Liverpool to its core. Now, with the murderer turning 18, the face of the boy who stole Ava’s life can finally be revealed: Harry Gilbertson. Just 14 when he plunged a knife into the schoolgirl’s neck in November 2021, Gilbertson left Ava dying on the pavement moments after the city’s Christmas lights were switched on.

The tragedy started with a trivial row over a Snapchat video. Ava and her friends demanded that Gilbertson and his gang delete the clip. In seconds, tensions boiled over. Gilbertson pulled out a knife and, in a flash of aggression, drove it into Ava’s neck. As she bled, he and his friends laughed, leaving bystanders – many of them children – shocked and horrified.

In the moments that followed, Gilbertson acted like a boy with no conscience. He discarded the murder weapon, abandoned his coat and phone, and even stopped for crumpets. Hoping to dodge justice, he spun a web of lies, blaming an innocent boy and creating alibis. But CCTV footage exposed the brutal reality, and a jury found him guilty. At trial, Gilbertson was branded a “monster” for the sheer cruelty and callousness he showed that night.

Now that Gilbertson has come of age, the ban on naming him has been lifted, allowing the public to see the face of the boy who stole a young girl’s future. Yet even from behind bars, Gilbertson has shown no remorse. In a bitter twist, he has appeared on Snapchat from inside his secure unit, a stark reminder of the ongoing pain Ava’s family endures every day.

Ava’s mother, Leeann White, has been left with a lifetime of heartbreak. “All I’m left with are memories,” she says, grappling with the silence and the milestones her daughter will never reach. “He can walk free one day. He can have a family, a wedding. Ava can never have any of that.”

Ava’s death sparked a wave of grief across the city and inspired a campaign for change. The Ava White Foundation, set up in her name, aims to educate young people about the dangers of knife crime. The foundation has already distributed life‑saving bleed kits to schools across the area — equipment that has reportedly saved at least six young lives.

But the anger remains. Under the current rules, Gilbertson could walk free after serving just 13 years, making him only 27 upon release. Meanwhile, Ava’s family will continue to carry the heartbreak and trauma for the rest of their lives. “It doesn’t matter how long he serves,” Leeann says. “It can never restore what was taken from Ava, or from us.”

Ava White will be remembered not for the tragedy that ended her life, but for the hopeful legacy she left behind — a legacy built on resilience, remembrance and a fight for justice that will echo across generations.