Police are facing renewed scrutiny over their handling of a teenage offender in the months before he fatally stabbed 12-year-old Leo Ross in a random attack in Birmingham.
The 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to Leo’s murder and several other violent offences. He admitted stabbing the schoolboy in Shire Country Park on January 21, 2025, as Leo walked home from school.
Leo died from a single stab wound to the stomach and was pronounced dead in hospital later that evening. His family described him as “funny, sweet” and said he had “not one aggressive bone in his body”.
Court proceedings and subsequent investigations have revealed that the teenager had carried out a series of unprovoked attacks in the same park just days before the killing.
On January 19, 2025, he assaulted an elderly woman, beating her with her own walking stick and pushing her into the River Cole. The following day, he attacked another woman, leaving her seriously injured.
In both cases, he was described as wearing black clothing and riding a bicycle. On one occasion, he pretended to be a witness and remained at the scene until emergency services arrived.
Despite being known to police and matching the description of the attacker, he was not arrested at the time.
Detective Inspector Joe Davenport of West Midlands Police said officers were looking for “a boy, about 14 years old, all black clothing, riding a bike, attacking vulnerable people in a small area”.
Neighbours and family acquaintances have since questioned why earlier intervention did not take place.
One local resident said the teenager had been “brought home by police loads of times”, while another said residents were “scared of him”.
The boy had previously been excluded from mainstream education and a specialist referral unit after violent incidents, including breaking a teacher’s nose and bringing a knife into school. He was also linked to vandalism and assaults in the area.
On the day of Leo’s murder, CCTV showed the teenager cycling through the park before ambushing the schoolboy. After the attack, he again posed as a bystander and spoke to police while paramedics attempted to save Leo’s life.
Bodyworn camera footage captured him telling officers: “I didn’t touch him because that could put me in the case.”
He was arrested later that day after police raided his home. Officers later recovered the murder weapon from a nearby river, which contained DNA from both the attacker and Leo.
Investigators have confirmed the boy had been a suspect in multiple assaults between October and December 2024, including incidents involving police officers. However, he was not charged over most of those cases until after Leo’s death.
West Midlands Police are now facing questions over whether earlier action could have prevented the killing.
Detective Inspector Davenport described Leo as a “model student” with a perfect behaviour record and said there was no evidence he had provoked the attack.
The teenager is due to be sentenced in February. The hearing is expected to last a full day.