The teenage boy who murdered Leo Ross in Birmingham was sentenced this afternoon.
Leo, who was 12, was attacked while walking home from school in Hall Green in January last year.
His attacker, a 15-year-old boy has now been sentenced to life with a minimum of 13 years in custody following a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court.
On the day of Leo’s murder, the teenager was seen on CCTV footage riding around on his bicycle in the area around Trittiford Mill Park.
There he encountered Leo and stabbed him before discarding the knife in some bushes by the side of a nearby stream.
There is no indication he and Leo knew one another and no known motive.
He then asked a passer-by to call the police, claiming he had found Leo there and even speaking to officers at the scene.
Having lied to them about his involvement, he rode home.
Leo sadly died from his injuries later that day and detectives from our Homicide department began a major investigation.
Viewing hundreds of hours of CCTV and doorbell footage, the defendant was identified as a suspect and later arrested at his home address.
He gave no comment in interviews and refused to give any explanation, though he told officers while being arrested that they wouldn’t find the knife he used to kill Leo.
Detective Inspector Joe Davenport, who led the investigation, said: “This was such a tragic and random act of violence which killed an innocent young boy.
“There is no indication Leo and the defendant knew one another – this appears to have been a totally random attack.
“From our investigation, it seemed he liked to cause violence before calling the police and watching the chaos he had caused.
“The escalation in his violence from previous incidents shows what a truly dangerous individual he is.
“We will likely never know why he decided to attack Leo, who was completely innocent.”
The boy was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years in prison at Birmingham Crown Court on 10 Feb.
Leo’s mother Rachel Fisher said: “My son Leo was the sweetest, most kind-hearted boy.
“He didn’t have a bad bone in his body. My baby’s life was stolen for no reason what so ever.
“My life will never be the same again without him. He will be loved and missed forever. Mom.”
Leo’s foster family, the Westons, said: “Today’s sentencing does not bring justice in the way our hearts long for.
“No sentence can ever undo or compensate the loss of Leo nor return him to us. Our family will live with this pain forever.
“Leo was taken from us for no reason in a senseless and unprovoked act of violence. He was deeply loved and should still be here, laughing, living, and sharing life with us.
“We miss him every day, our world has been torn apart and his absence has left a permanent void in our family, one that can never be filled.
“While we acknowledge the court’s decision today, it marks neither closure nor healing.
“It is simply another step in a journey of grief that began the day we lost Leo.
“Our focus remains on remembering who Leo was, not how he was taken from us.
“Leo was a polite, lovely, kind boy, full of life and energy, his presence would light up a room.
“He put others before himself and made friends wherever we went. He was smart and intelligent, loved to learn and teach us fun facts.
“He was loved by so many people for being the way he was.
“Leo’s life mattered. His kindness, his laughter, and his love will always be part of who we are.
“Though he is no longer physically with us, he will live on in our memories, in the stories we share, and in the love we carry for him every day.
“We will miss him always. He will never be forgotten, and he will forever be loved.”