A 15-year-old boy accused of murdering 12-year-old schoolboy Leo Ross has made a brief appearance at Birmingham Crown Court, where he was formally remanded in custody ahead of a trial scheduled for this summer.
The defendant, who cannot be named due to legal restrictions, is charged with fatally stabbing Leo in the stomach on a riverside path in Hall Green on 21 January.
Dressed in a grey tracksuit and white T-shirt, the teenager appeared in person after being brought from youth detention accommodation. During the short hearing, he spoke only to confirm his name. No pleas were entered.
Judge Melbourne Inman KC confirmed that the trial is expected to begin on 23 June at Coventry Crown Court and will run for approximately five weeks.
Multiple Charges Beyond Murder
The youth is also facing a string of other serious charges:
- Possession of a bladed article
- Assaulting a woman on 22 October 2023
- Two counts of grievous bodily harm relating to incidents on 19 and 20 January
- A further assault on a woman on the same day Leo was killed
Judge Inman, after hearing submissions from prosecutor Rachel Brand KC and defence counsel Alistair Webster KC, said: “I am not going to repeat all those directions. The effect of them is that your lawyers will have all the material they need to make sure the issues in this case are properly considered.”
Leo, a pupil at Christ Church, Church of England Secondary Academy in Yardley Wood, was found seriously injured in the Shire Country Park, near Scribers Lane. Emergency services were called by concerned members of the public shortly after 3pm. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Leo later died from his injuries.
In the wake of the tragedy, Leo’s family issued a heartfelt statement, saying: “We want everyone to know what an amazing, kind, loving boy Leo was. Not only has Leo’s life been taken, but all of our lives have as well. Leo will be truly missed by all of us. He was loved so much by everyone.”
As the legal process continues, the case remains a deeply emotional and shocking incident for the Birmingham community.
The upcoming trial is expected to provide further clarity around the events leading to Leo’s death. Until then, the accused remains in police custody, awaiting judgment in one of the region’s most heartbreaking youth crime cases in recent years.
This tragic case follows other shocking incidents involving young victims, including the recent stabbing of a Japanese schoolboy in China, which sparked international safety concerns.
