Walk marks fifth anniversary of murdered teen's death

The family and friends of a teenager who was murdered five years ago have held a memorial walk on the anniversary of his death.

Olly Stephens was 13 when he was stabbed to death in Emmer Green, Reading, Berkshire, on 3 January 2021, following a dispute on social media.

The walk from St Barnabas church to Olly's Bench in Bugs Bottom, where Olly died, and back again raised funds for a charitable trust launched in his honour last year.

Speaking at the walk, Olly's grandmother Jenny Vooght said: "I think 'what would he have been like now, what would his interests have been?'."

In November, Olly's parents launched Olly's Work, which aims to support young people and help tackle online bullying.

Stuart Stephens, Olly's father, said on Saturday: "You will never stop somebody picking up a knife in anger but you can educate them around the consequences of doing that."

The teenager's mother Amanda Stephens added: "The environment that young people are living in now online... can be really very dangerous."

In 2021, a trial at Reading Crown Court was told Olly had been lured to Bugs Bottom Field near his home by a girl he knew, after a dispute on social media.

He was "ambushed" by two boys. One was sentenced to 13 years for murder and the other to 12 years.

The girl, who was 13 at the time, admitted manslaughter and was sentenced to three years and two months but it was later increased to five years by the Court of Appeal.

None of those convicted can be identified for legal reasons.

Speaking at the walk, Olly's friend Patrick Gilbertson, 19, said: "If you carry a knife, the chance of it getting used against you is a lot higher.

"I think it's just sad to see... it ruins a lot of lives."

Matt Rodda, Labour MP for Reading Central, attended the walk and told the BBC: "My message to young men and to boys would be to think about what happened to Olly and be very careful with social media - and don't have anything to do with knives."