A teenager who stabbed a 12-year-old schoolgirl to death can be named for the first time as he turns 18.

Harry Gilbertson was 14 when he attacked Ava White in Liverpool after a petty row over a Snapchat video in November 2021.

The following year, he was convicted of her murder after a trial and, at 15, he was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years, but could not be identified due to reporting restrictions, despite representations from the media.

Ava’s mother Leeann White said: “I wanted the whole world to know who he was. I think Liverpool had the right to know who he was as well.”

On Ava’s 15th birthday, in January 2024, Ms White’s nephew was sent a photograph of Gilbertson from a seemingly fake Snapchat profile.

It appeared to show him posing with his arms crossed alongside another male whose face had been covered on the photo with a logo and who had his middle finger up.

Ms White reported the photo and was told Gilbertson had been using an iPad for educational purposes and there was a glitch in the system allowing him to use the internet, but was also told the photo had been taken while he was on a visit.

She said she was told he had been “read the riot act” but had no formal punishment.

Ms White said she felt “really angry” when she saw the picture.

“I can never have a photograph with my child now so why does he have the right?”

Ava had been in the city centre with friends on 25 November, the night the Christmas lights were being switched on.

The group became involved in an argument with Gilbertson and his friends, who had been filming Snapchat videos of them.

Gilbertson was carrying a knife and stabbed Ava once to the neck, before fleeing the scene, discarding the weapon and discarding his coat.

He was later caught on CCTV in a shop later that night taking a selfie and buying butter, which he said was for crumpets.

Ms White admitted she had mixed emotions about Gilbertson being named, as she said: “I try not to think about him if I’m being honest, because if I do, I’m just taking a million steps back.

“So I just try to focus on Ava and doing stuff for her legacy is more important to me than thinking about him.”

The 42-year-old said since the trial she had been told very little about Gilbertson, but had learnt he had recently finished his GCSEs.

“It should have been Ava sitting her GCSEs, not him,” she said.