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The court has lifted a reporting ban to reveal the identity of the teenager responsible for the fatal stabbing of 12-year-old Leo Ross. Fourteen-year-old Kian Moulton, who was 15 at the time of sentencing, admitted to murdering Leo in Birmingham in January 2025. The attack occurred as Leo was walking home from school, with Moulton stabbing him in the stomach. At Birmingham Crown Court, Moulton received a life sentence with a minimum term of 13 years after pleading guilty last month.
In addition to the murder charge, Moulton also confessed to multiple assaults on three elderly women in the days prior, two of whom sustained serious injuries. During the hearing, the court was informed that Moulton struggled with significant mental health problems but was aware of the consequences of his actions. Judge Mr Justice Choudhury KC highlighted that Moulton deliberately targeted Leo due to his smaller stature and noted the disturbing behavior following the attack, as the teenager cycled around the local country park telling people that a stabbing had taken place. He even returned to the scene and interacted with police officers, seemingly deriving a disturbing satisfaction from witnessing the aftermath.
Community reactions have expressed shock and sorrow over the violent incidents. Moulton lived less than half a mile from Trittiford Mill Park, where the attacks happened. A local resident, who had been a family friend of Moulton, described how the crimes fractured the once closely bonded neighborhood. Neighbors who once socialized during summer evenings now avoid each other. The same resident recounted past difficulties with Moulton, mentioning frequent police visits and episodes where the boy ran off or went missing, illustrating a troubled history before the violent events. Another longtime neighbor reflected on Moulton’s earlier years as a “kind and nice kid,” expressing disbelief at his later actions despite acknowledging behavioral problems that emerged with age.
The decision to name Kian Moulton was made after careful consideration, with several news outlets applying to lift the anonymity restrictions placed on under-18 offenders. Mr Justice Choudhury cited strong public interest and the escalation in Moulton’s violent behavior as key factors in this decision, noting also the wider public concern about knife crime. Though Moulton has shown little remorse or signs of rehabilitation since his arrest, his defense argued that revealing his identity could hamper his progress. The Crown took a neutral stance on the matter. Shortly after the ruling, Birmingham Children’s Trust announced it would participate in a local child safeguarding review to understand any lessons from the case, despite withdrawing plans to seek a judicial review on the decision.
During the sentencing hearing, Moulton appeared largely unemotional, sitting with his head bowed except when Leo’s father addressed him directly, urging him to “look up” and acknowledging the devastating impact of his actions. Members of Leo’s foster family spoke out, condemning the senselessness of the crime. Leo’s biological mother criticized the sentence, calling the minimum term “a complete and utter joke.” People who knew Leo described him fondly; Tim Boyes, acting head at Leo’s school at the time, remembered him as a bright and quirky child with a passion for fossils, unlike many boys his age who preferred football. Police investigators confirmed that Leo and Moulton were strangers, reinforcing that the attack was completely random. Detective Inspector Joe Davenport described Moulton as “a truly dangerous individual” who seemed to enjoy causing violence and then observing the chaos he created
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