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Leo Ross murder-accused has assault counts dropped

Family A headshot of a 12-year-old boy, who is smiling into the camera and has short brown hair. He is standing in front of a bowling lane and the pins can be seen behind him. Family
Leo Ross was believed to have been making his way home when he was stabbed

Authorities have dropped two of six assault charges against a 14-year-old boy accused of murdering 12-year-old Leo Ross in a stabbing in Birmingham earlier this month.

The accused, who cannot be named due to his age, had originally faced two counts of assaulting police officers on 26 November, along with a raft of other assault charges plus Leo's murder.

But he was not required to attend Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday, where a two-minute hearing approved a Youth Offending Team application for a "non-court disposal" of the charges pertaining to November.

The boy is due to appear at Birmingham Crown Court on 22 April to enter pleas to charges of murder, possessing a bladed article, and four remaining counts of assault.

The two officers alleged to have been assaulted were named in court on Thursday as PC Dawson Jones and PC Jessica Wright.

Leo, a pupil at Christ Church C of E Secondary Academy in Yardley Wood, Birmingham, was believed to have been making his way home from school when he was stabbed in the Hall Green area of the city on 21 January.

Members of the public came to his aid and phoned emergency services but he died in hospital later that day.

In a tribute to Leo, his family described him as an "amazing, kind and loving boy".

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