A FOUNDATION set up in memory of Leo Ross hopes the sentence handed to his killer will ‘serve as a message’ to youngsters considering carrying weapons.
A 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been jailed for life with a minimum of 13 years over the murder of the 12-year-old following a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court.
Leo, who was 12, was attacked while walking home from school in Hall Green last January.
After the sentence hearing Leo’s Legacy Foundation Trustees released a statement.
It said: “Although nothing will ever being Leo back, we are hopeful that the sentencing will serve a message to other young people considering carrying weapons.
“He will never be forgotten and through his charity, our aim is to make sure that his name is known far and wide. We want his name to mean something, to help save lives and to make it a safer place for children.”
West Midlands Police said 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 died from his injuries later that day.
West Midlands Police said the teen 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.
Leo’s foster family, the Westons, said: “This 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.
“We will miss him always. He will never be forgotten, and he will forever be loved.”
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.”
Detective Inspector Joe Davenport, who led the investigation, said: “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.”
