Teenager sentenced for murder of 12-year-old Leo Ross who was stabbed in random attack

Teenager Detained for at Least 13 Years for Random Murder of Birmingham Schoolboy

February 10, 2026

A teenage boy who murdered 12-year-old Birmingham schoolboy Leo Ross in a random knife attack has been detained for a minimum of 13 years.

The 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to murder at a hearing in January. He was 14 at the time of the attack.

Sentencing the boy at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday, Mr Justice Choudhury said the defendant’s actions showed “quite sophisticated and callous thinking,” referring to a series of violent incidents that culminated in Leo’s death.

“You engaged in a campaign of serious violence against different people, culminating in the fatal stabbing of Leo,” the judge said. “The devastation you have caused to so many lives is hard to comprehend.”

Leo was attacked on 21 January last year while walking home from school along a riverside path in Shire Country Park, Hall Green. He was taken to hospital but later died from his injuries.

Following his death, Leo’s family described him as an “amazing, kind, loving” boy.

The defendant also admitted two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent on 19 and 20 January, as well as assault occasioning actual bodily harm on 21 January 2025, relating to separate attacks on other victims. He further admitted possessing a bladed article on the day Leo was killed.

However, he denied additional charges relating to alleged assaults in October and December 2024. Those counts were ordered to lie on file.

Police investigations revealed that the knife used in Leo’s murder was thrown into a nearby river. Officers also established that the defendant had previously carried out attacks on several women, including an 82-year-old woman who suffered serious injuries.

Addressing the defendant, Mr Justice Choudhury said the level of violence involved in the attack on the elderly woman was “hard to comprehend.”

West Midlands Police said the teenager had remained at the scene after Leo was attacked, speaking to officers and falsely claiming he had discovered the injured boy by the River Cole.

The judge said this behaviour formed part of a disturbing pattern, adding that the defendant appeared to enjoy “witnessing the havoc you have created.”

Police confirmed that Leo had no connection to his attacker and that the killing was a random and unprovoked act.