Latest news with #Gilbertson
Perth Now
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Cabaret superstar headed to Mandurah
Adelaide entertainer, accordionist and cabaret superstar Hans, aka Matt Gilbertson, is headed to Mandurah Performing Arts Centre this July for his tour Young, Fun & 21. The Berlin-accented performer is sharing his birthday party with the stage, joined by a live band The Ungrateful Bastards and dance group The Lucky Bitches alongside other surprises aimed to keep the audience on their toes. Cabaret star Hans is performing at MPAC on July 4. Credit: Supplied A celebration of 21 years of the iconic character, Gilbertson said he is most excited for Hans to help his audience combat what could have been a stressful week with a 'lot of nonsense'. Your local paper, whenever you want it. 'With the way the world is at the moment, I think it's important to have a little fun and take the opportunity to decompress,' he said. 'What I like about cabaret is how free it is;it's not a musical, it's not a theatre piece, it's never set in stone, every show can be unique, which keeps it fun.' Having first taken to performing as an accordion busker in Adelaide shopping centres and fresh out of high school, Gilbertson said many of Hans' iconic characters came from people watching. 'That's kind of where it all started,' he said. 'While you're basking in these moments, you're really observing people and you start to make up stories about who these passers-by are in your mind. I kind of do the same thing now with my audience, you always do a quick scan at the start of the show to see who'll give you the best material on the night.' With a wide range of impressive accolades under his belt including Best Cabaret at Adelaide and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, grand finalist on America's Got Talent: The Champions in 2020 and having made his opera debut last year in State Opera South Australia's Candide, Hans continues to wow audiences across the globe. The show, which will hit the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre stage on July 4, is expected to provide a wild ride full of laughter, music and glittering moments that prove 21 has never looked better.
Daily Mirror
21-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Mum of tragic girl, 12, uses a far more telling name for her vile teen killer
Harry Gilbertson was yesterday unmasked as Ava White's murderer as, because he turned 18 on Friday, he reached adulthood and court laws to provide him anonymity expired The heartbroken mother of a 12-year-old girl stabbed to death by a teen yob has branded the killer "the monster". Leeann White, 42, won't call Harry Gilbertson by his real name - even though the press are now able to unmask the lowlife as the vile killer of Ava White. The girl's mum said she doesn't want to give Gilbertson such respect - even if he can be publicly identified - because he senselessly took Ava's life following a petty row in Liverpool city centre more than three-a-half years ago. Reacting to the news the media can name Gilbertson, Ms White candidly said this week: "I don't call him by his name. I call him the monster... He has never shown any remorse. It is important the public know who he is." When Gilbertson was found guilty of murder, aged 15, judge Amanda Yip refused calls from Ava's family and the press for him to be named, saying the risk to his family, in particular his younger siblings, was too great. A court-enforced order had been put in place - as the case with all defendants aged younger than 18 - to prevent the media from publishing details, including his name, picture and address. READ MORE: Ava White's schoolboy murderer unmasked as teenager who stabbed girl turns 18 This order now no longer applies because Gilbertson is now 18. He can therefore be pictured and, in the image above, the murderer poses for a snap, which was published on social media site Snapchat. It was the use of Snapchat which led to the altercation in which Ava was attacked outside Primark in November 2021. Following a verbal argument between Ava's friends and a group of boys, one of the boys filmed them, which he later shared on Snapchat. Ava told the boy to stop filming and delete the video and, after the argument continued, Ava was stabbed in the neck with a flick knife. She was rushed to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, where she sadly died a short time later despite the best efforts of medical staff. Remembering her daughter, Leeann told Mail Online this week: "The public know everything about Ava – her name was splashed everywhere when she died. Why shouldn't everyone know what he did? Why should he be protected? He was the one in the wrong, he was the one who went out that night with a knife." The Ava White Foundation has been set up by her family to generate awareness and raise money for bleed control kits. The kits, which are designed to treat stab wounds, have been installed in public places, and will continue to be. Speaking previously about this, Leeann said: "The importance of these bleed packs is to make sure they are out there so we don't have another child die on our streets. So another mother hasn't got to be sitting here and feeling the way I'm feeling everyday."
Metro
20-06-2025
- Metro
Teen who murdered 12-year-old schoolgirl Ava White named for first time
The teenager who murdered schoolgirl Ava White after the Christmas lights switch-on in Liverpool can be named and pictured for the first time after turning 18. Harry Gilbertson was 14 when he carried out the cowardly attack on November 25, 2021. He was found guilty of her murder the following year at 15 and locked up for at least 13 years. Reporting restrictions preventing Gilbertson from being identified were kept in place until his 18th birthday, despite representations from the media, which were supported by Ava's family. Ava's mother Leeann White, 42, said: 'I wanted the whole world to know who he was. I think Liverpool had the right to know who he was as well.' Ms White said that since the trial, she had been told very little about Gilbertson but had learnt he had done his GCSEs. Speaking through tears, she said: 'It should have been Ava sitting her GCSEs, not him.' On Ava's 15th birthday, in January 2024, Ms White's nephew was sent a photograph from a seemingly fake Snapchat profile which appeared to show Gilbertson posing for the camera with his arms crossed alongside another male whose face had been covered on the photo with a logo and who had his middle finger up. Ms White reported the photo and was told Gilbertson had been using an iPad for educational purposes and there was a glitch in the system allowing him to use the internet, but was also told the photo had been taken while he was on a visit. She said she was told he had been 'read the riot act' but had no formal punishment. Ms White said: 'He didn't get any privileges taken off him. He just got a telling off, basically.' She said she felt 'really angry' when she saw the picture. 'I can never have a photograph with my child now, so why does he have the right? He lost his rights when he murdered my child,' she said. Ms White, who has set up a foundation in Ava's name that provides bleed control kits to premises, said she had mixed emotions about Gilbertson being named. 'I try not to think about him if I'm being honest, because if I do, I'm just taking a million steps back,' she said. 'So, I just try to focus on Ava and doing stuff for her legacy is more important to me than thinking about him.' When making the decision to keep reporting restrictions in place, trial judge Mrs Justice Yip said there were concerns for Gilbertson's younger siblings, one of whom had not been told their brother was on trial for murder. Ms White said: 'Yet I had to sit my little nephews and nieces down and tell them about Ava, but they could hide everything for him. 'I feel like they've done everything they can to protect him and his family.' She said she felt her own family had 'nowhere near' the same protection. Ava had been in the city centre with friends on the night the Christmas lights were being switched on. The group became involved in an argument with Gilbertson and his friends, who had been filming Snapchat videos of them. Gilbertson was carrying a knife and struck Ava once to the neck, causing her fatal injury, before fleeing the scene, discarding the weapon and getting rid of his coat. He was seen on CCTV in a shop later that night taking a selfie and buying butter, which he said was for crumpets. Ms White added: 'I think he's got understanding (of what he's done), he's quite a clever child. 'He's got understanding, he's just got no remorse. 'It really doesn't feel like justice. He still gets to live and breathe. My Ava doesn't. His mum can see him getting married, having a baby. I'm never going to have that with Ava.' Since Ava's death, Ms White, along with Ava's older sister Mia and her aunt June White, have worked through the Ava White Foundation to provide hundreds of bleed control kits in the hope they can prevent other families from going through what they experienced. At least six lives have been saved thanks to the kits provided by the Ava White Foundation, Ms White said. The packs, which include gauze, trauma dressings and tourniquets, are delivered to schools, pubs and businesses and training is given on how to use them. When a 14-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy were stabbed in Kirkby, Merseyside, in April, a bleed control kit donated in Ava's name to a nearby pub was used to help treat the children, who were both taken to hospital but survived. Ms White said: 'I think every establishment should have one. The way knife crime is, it's not going down, it's getting worse. Everyone needs to be aware of this training, it's so easy.' She said hearing of other children killed through knife crime made her 'sad for the child but more so for the mum and what she's got to go through now'. Since Ava's death she no longer has 'good days' but has 'OK days and really bad days', Ms White said. More Trending She added: 'What keeps me going is I'm keeping Ava's name out there and that's more important to me – to keep Ava's name out there so she's not forgotten.' A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: 'This was an horrendous crime, and our thoughts remain with the family of Ava White. 'No victim should ever have to see their perpetrators appearing online. 'We've put in place tough measures to clamp down on the use of social media in prisons and have committed to review how we could extend these controls to all places of custody.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Three men repeatedly raped 12-year-old girl after luring her from Asda car park MORE: 'I beat the system and proved I didn't need a TV licence' MORE: Met Police deploying dedicated patrols to protect women and girls at concerts this summer
Sunday World
20-06-2025
- Sunday World
Teenager who stabbed Liverpool girl Ava White (12) named as he turns 18
Harry Gilbertson was 14 when he fatally wounded Ava in Liverpool city centre Harry Gilbertson was 14 when he carried out the attack on the schoolgirl on November 25 2021. The following year, he was convicted of her murder after a trial and, at 15, he was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years for her murder. Reporting restrictions preventing Gilbertson from being identified were kept in place until he turned 18, despite representations from the media, which were supported by Ava's family. Ava's mother Leeann White, 42, said: 'I wanted the whole world to know who he was. I think Liverpool had the right to know who he was as well.' She said since the trial, she had been told very little about Gilbertson, but had learnt he had done his GCSEs. Speaking through tears, she said: 'It should have been Ava sitting her GCSEs, not him.' On Ava's 15th birthday, in January 2024, Ms White's nephew was sent a photograph from a seemingly fake Snapchat profile which appeared to show Gilbertson posing for the camera with his arms crossed alongside another male whose face had been covered on the photo with a logo and who had his middle finger up. Ms White reported the photo and was told Gilbertson had been using an iPad for educational purposes and there was a glitch in the system allowing him to use the internet, but was also told the photo had been taken while he was on a visit. She said she was told he had been 'read the riot act' but had no formal punishment. She said: 'He didn't get any privileges taken off him. He just got a telling off basically.' She said she felt 'really angry' when she saw the picture. 'I can never have a photograph with my child now so why does he have the right? He lost his rights when he murdered my child,' she said Ava White (12), who died after she was stabbed following the Christmas lights switch-on in Liverpool city centre. Picture: PA Ms White, who has set up a foundation in Ava's name that provides bleed control kits to premises, said she had mixed emotions about Gilbertson being named. 'I try not to think about him if I'm being honest, because if I do, I'm just taking a million steps back,' she said. 'So I just try to focus on Ava and doing stuff for her legacy is more important to me than thinking about him.' When making the decision to keep reporting restrictions in place, trial judge Mrs Justice Yip said there were concerns for Gilbertson's younger siblings, one of whom had not been told their brother was on trial for murder. File photo of Ava White, who died after she was stabbed following an argument in Liverpool city centre, with her mother Leanne and sister Mia. Merseyside Police/PA Wire Ms White said: 'Yet I had to sit my little nephews and nieces down and tell them about Ava, but they could hide everything for him. I feel like they've done everything they can to protect him and his family.' She said she felt her own family had 'nowhere near' the same protection. Ava had been in the city centre with friends on the night the Christmas lights were being switched on. The group became involved in an argument with Gilbertson and his friends, who had been filming Snapchat videos of them. Gilbertson was carrying a knife and struck Ava once to the neck, causing her fatal injury, before fleeing the scene, discarding the weapon and getting rid of his coat. He was seen on CCTV in a shop later that night taking a selfie and buying butter, which he said was for crumpets. Ms White added: 'I think he's got understanding (of what he's done), he's quite a clever child. 'He's got understanding, he's just got no remorse. 'It really doesn't feel like justice. He still gets to live and breathe. My Ava doesn't. His mum can see him getting married, having a baby. I'm never going to have that with Ava.' Leeann White looks on her mobile phone at a picture on the social media app Snapchat - which appears to show the teenager who killed her daughter Ava posing for the camera with his arms crossed alongside another male - as she is interviewed by the PA news agency at Everton Valley, Liverpool, Merseyside. Peter Byrne/PA Wire Since Ava's death, Ms White, along with Ava's older sister Mia and her aunt June White, have worked through the Ava White Foundation to provide hundreds of bleed control kits in the hope they can prevent other families from going through what they experienced. At least six lives have been saved thanks to the kits provided by the Ava White Foundation, Ms White said. The packs, which include gauze, trauma dressings and tourniquets, are delivered to schools, pubs and businesses and training is given on how to use them. When a 14-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy were stabbed in Kirkby, Merseyside, in April, a bleed control kit donated in Ava's name to a nearby pub was used to help treat the children, who were both taken to hospital but survived. Ms White said: 'I think every establishment should have one. The way knife crime is, it's not going down, it's getting worse. Everyone needs to be aware of this training, it's so easy.' She said hearing of other children killed through knife crime made her 'sad for the child but more so for the mum and what she's got to go through now'. Ava White Since Ava's death she no longer has 'good days' but has 'OK days and really bad days', she said. She added: 'What keeps me going is I'm keeping Ava's name out there and that's more important to me, to keep Ava's name out there so she's not forgotten.'
Scottish Sun
20-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Evil teen who murdered 12-year-old Ava White at Christmas light switch on is unmasked for first time as he turns 18
Ava's mother has spoken out after the teen was identified KILLER UNMASKED Evil teen who murdered 12-year-old Ava White at Christmas light switch on is unmasked for first time as he turns 18 THE teenager who fatally stabbed 12-year-old Ava White at a Christmas light display can be named for the first time as he turns 18. Harry Gilbertson was 14 when he carried out the attack on the schoolgirl in Liverpool city centre in November 2021. 5 Ava's family were sent a Snapchat picture of Gilbertson taunting them on her 15th birthday Credit: PA 5 Ava suffered 'devastating injuries' and tragically passed away shortly after being taken to hospital Credit: PA The following year, Gilbertson was convicted of her murder after a trial and sentenced to a minimum of 13 years in prison. Reporting restrictions preventing him from being identified were kept in place until he turned 18 - despite appeals from the media, which were supported by Ava's family. The schoolgirl was just 12 years old when she was killed after being stabbed in the neck outside a clothing shop at a Christmas lights display. Gilbertson had launched the devastating attack after a petty row over a Snapchat video. Ava suffered "devastating injuries" and tragically passed away shortly after being taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Her mother, Leeann White, 42, said: "I wanted the whole world to know who he was. "I think Liverpool had the right to know who he was as well. "I try not to think about him if I'm being honest, because if I do, I'm just taking a million steps back. "So I just try to focus on Ava and doing stuff for her legacy is more important to me than thinking about him." In January 2024, Ms White's family was sent a photograph from a Snapchat account which appeared to show Gilbertson with his arms crossed. In the picture - sent on Ava's 15th birthday - he posed with another male whose face had been covered up and who had his middle finger up. Ms White reported the photo and was told Gilbertson had been using an iPad for educational purposes, but a glitch had allowed him to access the internet. My daughter Ava White was killed by schoolboy… kids as young as TWELVE need to be searched or tragedy could strike again She was told he had been "read the riot act" but had no formal punishment. She added: "He didn't get any privileges taken off him. He just got a telling off basically. "I can never have a photograph with my child now so why does he have the right? "He lost his rights when he murdered my child." At the trial, Liverpool Crown Court heard that the killer had filmed Ava and her friends. He posted the footage to Snapchat, which Ava insisted he delete. Prosecuting KC Charlotte Newell told the court that he "thrust a knife into the neck of this unarmed child". The defendant claimed he stabbed Ava 'accidentally' and in self-defence, denying murder and manslaughter, but was found guilty of murder at Liverpool Crown Court. On July 11, 2022, Gilbertson was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 13 years after the jury deliberated for two hours and eight minutes. Appearing in the youth court via video link, he put his head in his hands and sobbed upon hearing the verdict. Ava's heartbroken family have been very vocal about the impact her death has had and about knife crime in the UK. Speaking 12 months after the horrific night, Ava's mother, Leanne, told BBC Radio Merseyside: "I just remember getting a phone call off my sister saying Ava had been stabbed. "I can remember thinking she's made some kind of mistake… Ava won't have been stabbed. "I went straight up to Alder Hey and then everything was just a blur. "It's easier for the offender to do the crime, get 13 years in jail and come out after that. "It's us doing the life sentence, and Ava." 5 Gilbertson launched the devastating attack after a petty row over a Snapchat video Credit: PA 5 Gilbertson was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 13 years Credit: PA
