On November 25 last year, twelve-year-old Ava White was brutally killed in an open street in the center of Liverpool, after lighting the city’s Christmas lights.
When the girl asked a group of boys to stop filming her and her group of friends on Snapchat, she was attacked and stabbed in the throat.
Ava was rushed to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where she died as a result of the injuries.
Memorial ceremony
After the murder was The 12-year-old was honored by hundreds of people during a memorial service in Liverpool.
BALLOON RELEASE: On December 4, hundreds showed up on the streets of Liverpool to commemorate Ava White. Photo: Danny Lawson / Pa Photos
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“Imagine” by John Lennon was performed while hundreds held up lights. Several wore sweaters with Ava’s face on, while others had written the girl’s name on her face.
She was also honored by Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold during a match against Everton six days later.
“Rest in peace Ava White”, it said on the right back’s jersey.
A teenager has now been convicted of the murder, reports BBC.
«REST IN PEACE»: Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold. Photo: Paul Ellis / AFP
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Claimed self-defense
The boy, who was 14 years old at the time of the murder, claimed in court that he was acting in self-defense, as he was afraid that the younger girl would “jump on him”.
However, he was not believed, and was recently sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 13 years.
Ava killed: Hundreds attended the memorial service
The knife he was carrying had a 7.5 centimeter long blade. Earlier in the evening he had proudly shown it to his friends.
“There is only one reason why Ava is dead, and that is because you chose to carry a knife – and you chose to take them out and use them,” Supreme Court Judge Amanda Yip told the convict.
After the murder, the boy is said to have gone to the store, bought a packet of butter and taken a selfie.
He was arrested two hours later.
BURIED: Ava White’s survivors carry the coffin out of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral after the funeral ceremony on December 23 last year. Photo: Danny Lawson / Pa Photos
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Dreamed of becoming a flight attendant
According to Sky News, the killer was clearly upset when Ava’s family spoke in court earlier this year.
– I remember how much she looked forward to Christmas, said mother Leanne White.
She said that her daughter dreamed of becoming a flight attendant and that she wanted to travel the world.
SHELF: Football fans applaud as the picture of Ava White appears on the big screens in Goodison Park on December 1. Photo: AP Photo / Jon Super
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On the night of the murder, the mother had allowed the twelve-year-old to be out a little longer than usual, so that she could catch the ignition of the city’s Christmas lights.
– My heart is broken. I just want to go to bed and never wake up, my mother said.
The boy now convicted of murder came up with a number of lies during questioning, and also tried to place the blame on a friend.
“Even though it is a very young person who has committed the crime, he must take the consequences of what he has done,” said Sue Coombs from the Merseyside police.
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