On Tuesday 10 th February 2025, a 15-year old boy was sentenced to detention for life with a
minimum term of 13 years. He had pleaded guilty to the murder of 12-year old Leo Ross
and an assault on Diana Copplestone (aged 79) on the same day as the murder, and two
offences of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Valerie Mann (aged 82) and Christine
Canty (aged 72) in the days before the murder.

Following the order of the sentencing judge Mr Justice Choudhury, the boy has now been
named in the media : Kian Moulton.

Each of the three women attacked by the offender had been walking alone in Trittiford Mill
Park, Hall Green. Leo was in the same area on 21 st January 2025, on his way to meet a
friend after school. The attack upon Leo happened around half an hour after his assault
upon Mrs Copplestone.

After he had fatally stabbed Leo, the offender rode about the park on his bicycle, alerting
passers-by to the fact that there was “a young lad who’s been stabbed.” Some of the people
he told tried their very best to help Leo, while others went to summon and direct the
emergency services. The offender, meanwhile, even stayed in the locality long enough to
speak to one of the police early response officers, to whom he falsely pretended that he had
been the first person to find Leo lying injured.

He was ultimately associated with Leo’s murder because the police found the knife he had
used to stab Leo, in the parkland where the offender had sought to dispose of it. There
were traces of a DNA profile on the handle of the knife, which matched the offender’s DNA.
When he was arrested his t-shirt still bore traces of blood, whose DNA profile matched
Leo’s.

Psychiatric reports on the offender showed that he suffered with a number of recognised
mental disorders, including conduct disorder, which his counsel, Alistair Webster KC,
described as “formidable mental health problems.”

Mr. Justice Choudhury told the offender: “What you did in the park last January was horrific
and shocking. You went around the park looking for people to hurt. You chose people who
were weaker and smaller than you. I hope you realise how cowardly your actions were.” He
also observed that the offender appeared to derive “pleasure from seeing the consequences
of [his] actions.”

The shocking facts of the case captured the attention of both the press and public, for Leo, a
boy of promise, much loved by his natural parents, his foster-family, and his classmates, was
reported in the press to have been the youngest victim of knife crime in the West Midlands.
A mural in tribute to his life was created by local artists following his untimely death.

The offender was prosecuted by Rachel Brand KC and Graham A. Russell of Citadel
Chambers, who were instructed from the outset of the case and provided advice on the
conduct and strategy of the proceedings throughout. Ms Brand and Mr Russell were
instructed by Emily Clewer and Jonathan Roe of CPS West Midlands.