A youth aged 14 has appeared in court charged with the murder of 12-year-old Birmingham schoolboy Leo Ross.
The defendant, who cannot be named due to his age, is also charged with possessing a bladed article and six unconnected assaults, including three alleged to have been committed on the day of the murder and during the preceding two days.
Neither of his parents attended Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Monday as he was required to give his name, date of birth and postcode, but was not asked to enter any formal plea.
District Judge David Wain, sitting as a Youth Court judge with a closed public gallery, remanded the boy into youth detention accommodation and ordered him to appear at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday.
West Midlands Police arrested the boy last Tuesday, about four hours after Leo was stabbed on a riverside path in the Hall Green area.
The defendant is accused of assaulting a woman on October 22 last year, seriously assaulting a woman on January 19 and January 20, again assaulting a woman on January 21, and assaulting two police officers on November 26.
The youth made his way into the dock wearing a hoodie with the hood up, but took it off and appeared in a round-necked T-shirt for the hearing, which only lasted for around three minutes.
Adjourning the case, District Judge Wain transferred all of the charges except those relating to the police officers to Birmingham Crown Court.
Ordering a mention hearing to take place at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday in relation to the alleged assaults on police officers, he told the boy: “You are charged with a number of matters including murder.
“Those by law have to be heard by the Crown Court. You are remanded in custody to appear tomorrow morning at Birmingham Crown Court.”
In a statement released at the weekend, Leo’s family said: “We want everyone to know what an amazing, kind, loving boy Leo was.
“Not only has Leo’s life been taken, all of our lives have as well. Leo will be truly missed by all of us. He was loved so much by everyone.”
Leo, a pupil at the Christ Church, Church of England Secondary Academy in Yardley Wood, died after being taken to hospital from The Shire Country Park, where members of the public had summoned the emergency services.
The school has confirmed that the boy charged with murder was not among its pupils and has not studied there previously.
