Reporting restrictions preventing a teenage murderer from being named have been lifted as the schoolboy appeared at court to appeal his 19-year minimum sentence.

Ayman Aziz, aged 17 from Bright Street, Wolverhampton, was sentenced to life in prison last February for the murder of 14-year-old Viktorija Sokolova in April last year. He was told he must serve at least 19 years in prison before being eligible to apply for parole. He was also sentenced to an additional 10 years for rape to run concurrently.

But today Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Baron Burnett of Maldon refused an appeal hearing declaring that his sentence would remain. He also lifted reporting restriction imposed at previous hearings.

Aziz was just 16 when he arranged to meet Viktorija in West Park on the evening of 11 April. The teen’s body was found the following morning by a dog walker.

CCTV showed Aziz walk from Bright Street towards the Kingsland Road entrance of West Park. He was seen again, wearing distinctive Adidas trainers, leaving the park around two hours later. DI Caroline Corfield said:

“I am pleased with the outcome of the hearing today. It means a lot to Viktorija’s family that the name of her killer has been made public."

Overwhelming evidence led a jury to take just seven hours to find him guilty of raping and killing Viktorija after a three week trial in December.