Ava White: Teens with stabbed girl had a Rambo-style knife, court told

Ava White died after the Christmas light switch-on in Liverpool

Two members of a group who were with schoolgirl Ava White before she was killed were seen running with a "Rambo-style" knife, a court has heard.

The 12-year-old was fatally stabbed after Liverpool's Christmas lights switch-on on 25 November 2021.

A 14-year-old boy, who denies murder and manslaughter, has said he was defending himself against Ava.

A witness told Liverpool Crown Court he saw two of the group with her with a knife like one "from the movies".

The accused boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has admitted having an offensive weapon, but has previously told the court he was "scared" Ava would "jump" him and had only wanted to "frighten her away".

He also told the jury that Ava had confronted him after he filmed her and her group "messing on the floor" and one of those with her had said to his friend to "delete the video now or I'm going to stab you".

'Up to something'

Nick Johnson QC, defending, told the court that two teenage boys were with Ava and her friends when they had an initial altercation with the defendant in Williamson Square, but had left, before returning after receiving a telephone call.

The court was shown a video interview with a man who saw the two males running past him outside the Yates bar.

The witness said the pair "ran down from the top of the road... shouting something and I saw the taller one pass the other person a knife".

He said the weapon was "not a knife you'd see in your kitchen", but was "one of the ones from the movies".

He added that it was "a Rambo-style knife".

The man told police he had seen the two teenagers earlier in the evening and thought they were "up to something", adding: "There's something shady about them."

"They were just stood there next to each other, not talking, they had balaclavas on," he said.

Mr Johnson said the evidence was "highly significant" and told the jury the prosecution did not want to dispute it.

The case continues.

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