A 14-year-old boy is being sentenced today after pleading guilty to murdering a 12-year-old schoolboy during a three-day violent rampage in a Birmingham park that also saw him attack two elderly women.
Birmingham Crown Court heard how the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, carried out a series of random attacks on strangers in Trittiford Mill Park between 19 and 21 January last year, culminating in the fatal stabbing of Leo Ross.
The defendant pleaded guilty last month to Leo’s murder, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one count of possessing a knife. He will receive his sentence later today.
Prosecutor Rachel Brand KC told the sentencing hearing the attacks began on 19 January when the defendant targeted Valerie Mann, 82, as she walked through the Hall Green area park. He approached from behind and pushed her forcefully into the River Cole and a ditch by the river.
“He said to her ‘I tried to drown you, but now I’m going to kill you instead’ and he struck her several times with her own walking stick,” Brand stated. The teenager then told his victim: “I would like to get some help, but you will tell on me.”
After attacking Mrs Mann, he told a passer-by: “There’s an old lady in the water and she needs help.” When assistance arrived, the victim was “injured and very shocked” and told rescuers she thought she was going to die.
Mrs Mann was taken to hospital where doctors discovered multiple bruises, a laceration to her head, a broken nose, black eyes, a fractured rib and two broken fingers requiring surgery.
The following day on 20 January, the teenager struck again, attacking Christine Canty, 72, as she walked through the park. The court heard he approached on his bicycle from behind and either pushed or struck her with an object on the left side of her back, causing her to bleed “profusely” from a head wound.
Before leaving, he said “I’m sorry,” according to the prosecution. A passer-by found Ms Canty unconscious on the ground, bleeding heavily from her head wound. She suffered broken ribs and required hip replacement surgery.
In a police witness statement, Ms Canty said: “I think this incident will make me feel nervous about going out alone. I feel emotional about what has happened.”
On 21 January, the defendant encountered Leo Ross, who was by himself in the park. The 12-year-old schoolboy did not know his attacker and had no connection to him. Police described Leo as a “model student” with an unblemished behavioural record at school and no problems with any other pupils.
The teenager ambushed Leo and dealt a single stab wound to his stomach. The schoolboy died from the injury. After fatally wounding Leo, the killer callously pretended to be a witness by helping to raise the alarm about the attack he had just committed.
The court heard the murder represented the sickening culmination of three days of serious violence perpetrated at random by the killer against strangers in the same park location.
The defendant was 14 years old at the time of all the attacks. Legal restrictions prevent the identification of juveniles charged with criminal offences, meaning he cannot be named publicly despite the severity of his crimes.
The sentencing hearing continues at Birmingham Crown Court, where the judge will determine what punishment the teenager receives for his guilty pleas to murder, grievous bodily harm and knife possession. He faces a mandatory life sentence for the murder conviction, with the judge to set a minimum term he must serve before being considered for parole.
