Teenager who murdered Ava White in Liverpool named and pictured for the first time

Harry Gilbertson was 14 when he fatally stabbed the schoolgirl on November 25 2021.

Ava had been in the city with friends for the switching on of the Christmas lights. Following a row over a Snapchat video with another group, she was stabbed on School Lane, suffering ‘catastrophic injuries’ just before 8.40pm and sadly dying in hospital.

Gilberston claimed he had accidentally stabbed Ava in the neck in self-defence, but was found guilty after a two week murder trial in May 2022. Two months later, he was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years in prison.

The media was unable to reveal Gilberston’s identity due to reporting restrictions relating to his age. However, as he turned 18 today, these restrictions have now been lifted.

When making the decision to keep reporting restrictions in place, trial judge Mrs Justice Yip said there were concerns for Gilbertson’s younger siblings, one of whom had not been told their brother was on trial for murder.

Speaking to the PA news agency, Ava’s mother Leeann White, 42, said: “I wanted the whole world to know who he was. I think Liverpool had the right to know who he was as well.”

On Ava’s 15th birthday, in January 2024, Ms White’s nephew was sent a photograph from a seemingly fake Snapchat profile which appeared to show Gilbertson posing for the camera with his arms crossed alongside another male whose face had been covered on the photo with a logo and who had his middle finger up.

Ms White reported the photo and was told Gilbertson had been using an iPad for educational purposes and there was a glitch in the system allowing him to use the internet, but was also told the photo had been taken while he was on a visit.

She said: “He didn’t get any privileges taken off him. He just got a telling off basically.”

Ms White said she had mixed emotions about Gilbertson being named. “I try not to think about him if I’m being honest, because if I do, I’m just taking a million steps back,” she said.

“So I just try to focus on Ava and doing stuff for her legacy is more important to me than thinking about him.”

Ms White added: “I think he’s got understanding (of what he’s done), he’s quite a clever child. He’s got understanding, he’s just got no remorse.

“It really doesn’t feel like justice. He still gets to live and breathe. My Ava doesn’t. His mum can see him getting married, having a baby. I’m never going to have that with Ava.”

Since Ava’s death, Ms White, along with Ava’s older sister Mia and her aunt June White, have worked through the Ava White Foundation to provide hundreds of bleed control kits in the hope they can prevent other families from going through what they experienced.

At least six lives have been saved thanks to the kits provided by the Ava White Foundation, Ms White said. The packs, which include gauze, trauma dressings and tourniquets, are delivered to schools, pubs and businesses and training is given on how to use them.