Harry Gilbertson, now 18, has been publicly named as the teenager who murdered 12-year-old Ava White during Liverpool's Christmas light switch-on in November 2021. The fatal stabbing, which occurred on Church Street in the city centre, sent shockwaves through the nation and reignited debate over youth violence and knife crime.

Gilbertson was 14 at the time of the attack and had been protected by an anonymity order due to his age. That restriction was lifted in June 2025 following his 18th birthday. He was found guilty of murder in 2022 and is currently serving a life sentence.

Ava had been out with friends, enjoying the festive lights when she confronted a group of boys, asking them to delete a video they had posted on Snapchat. The exchange quickly escalated. Gilbertson produced a knife and stabbed her in the neck.

The incident lasted just seconds. Ava collapsed, and while emergency services responded quickly, she was pronounced dead later that evening at Alder Hey Children's Hospital. What had started as a night of celebration turned into a scene of panic and horror, witnessed by families and children.