Teens guilty of murdering boy ‘lured’ to park and fatally stabbed
Two 14-year-old boys have been found guilty of murdering a teen who was “lured” to a park and fatally stabbed.
Oliver Stephens, 13, was pronounced dead at Bugs Bottom field in Emmer Green, Reading, on 3 January.
Oliver, known as Olly, was persuaded to go to the park by a 14-year-old girl, where he was “ambushed” by the two boys, Reading Crown Court previously heard.
The court heard the boys had “grievances” with Olly and the girl is said to have described violence against him as “karma”.
The trio had messaged on Snapchat in the days before the stabbing, and the older boy had written: “I actually hate the kid with a passion – if I was to see him right now I’d probably end up killing him.”
Prosecutor Alison Morgan QC had said that Olly was “unknowingly walking into an ambush” and had been “lured” by the girl, who remained at the scene during the attack.
A witness said a number of punches had been thrown before the younger boy – who was 13 at the time – had stabbed Olly in the chest and back.
Ms Morgan said of the witness: “She could see blood coming from his chest and heard sucking sounds, which she knew was not a good sound, as air was not getting into Olly’s lungs.
Police pictured in January during the investigation into Olly’s death
“She noticed the shock was setting in and knew he was in cardiac arrest and began CPR on him.”
The court also heard the boy had “encouraged” others to look for news stories about the incident, with the older boy messaging a friend, saying: “Me and my boy slapped him up but my boy backed out and f****** shanked him.”
Ms Morgan said: “There was no sign of any regret and no suggestion he was in any way shocked.”
The younger boy had told a female friend in a message: “It was the biggest mistake of my life”, saying he had carried out the attack “out of pure anger”.
When questioned in court, the younger boy said he had taken a knife to the park because the older boy had told him to, and he had expected Olly to have a weapon.
The younger boy said that, during the fight, Olly had reached towards his waistband and he had assumed a knife would be pulled out.
The younger boy had used his knife because he thought the older boy, who was still fighting with Olly, was “going to get stabbed”.
But the older boy said he was not aware his younger friend had a knife and was shocked by the stabbing.
The jury deliberated for just over 18 hours before returning guilty verdicts to the murder charges.
The older boy and the girl had already admitted manslaughter.
Olly was killed in a park that was popular with joggers and walkers
The younger boy had also admitted perverting the course of justice by disposing of clothing worn during the murder, while the older boy admitted the same offence for deleting mobile phone applications.
None of the three can be publicly identified because of their age and they will be sentenced at a later date.
Olly’s family said after the verdict: “He left our home on that fateful afternoon with love and laughter in his heart, with the hope of a bright fun filled future ahead of him.
“Within 13 minutes of leaving the safety of his loving home Olly had left us forever.
“Two minutes was all it took to end him and cause us and our family catastrophic heartbreak.
“When I reached where Olly fell, I gently held his hand, willing him to respond, with the same love and devotion as I had on the day we met, the day he was born.
“Olly was our boy. We raised him to the best of our ability. He was a huge character in and around our home, with his friends and at school.
“He made people laugh, he could dance with the best of them, and he gave his love freely. His sense of humour and his wicked comic timing had us and his friends in stitches many a time.
“He was warm, kind, soulful, a deep thinker and a great carer to those around him. He was loyal and trusted people to a fault. He would never back down from a fight; he would defend those that couldn’t or wouldn’t defend themselves.
“I pressed on him the importance of running from a fight, to get clear and take stock of events later, we would deal with the fallout together. He did not see it my way. It cost him his life.
“The memories and stories we have of Olly’s short life have now become priceless treasures locked away in our hearts and minds forever.”
Cases of winter flu are “rising rapidly” – with England’s health boss urging those eligible to get vaccinated.
Cases are highest among those aged five to 14, with 16.9% of tests positive for flu – up from 11.5% last week.
Sharing the data on X, England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said: “Influenza is now rising rapidly. Antiviral flu medicines can now be used in primary care.”
“If you are eligible please get vaccinated.”
The number of cases is in line with the 2022 to 2023 season, which peaked on 20 December, with 33% of tests positive for flu.
Last year, the peak was much smaller – with 16.7% of tests positive – and came more than a month later, on 27 January.
Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) indicates while influenza rates are increasing, they remain at “low activity levels”.
Figures show the positive return rate for flu tests was 7.9% on 27 November, the most recent date for which data is available.
Flu is one of the illnesses circulating in the UK that have been dubbed the “quad-demic”.
COVID-19, flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and norovirus are all expected to peak at different times during the season.
Dr Alexander Allen, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “Flu is the cause of the rise in winter illnesses that we’ve seen in the past week, with emergency department attendances also increasing.
“Anyone still eligible for the flu, COVID-19 or RSV vaccines should get booked in ahead of the busy winter period, when we expect flu, and other respiratory viruses to spread between people more easily.
“Vaccination offers the best defence against these diseases, and now is the time to get protected before Christmas.”
THERE ARE HINTS THIS SEASON COULD BE A BAD ONE
Flu season is upon us once again. The big question, not just for anyone looking forward to a healthy Christmas break but for a creaking NHS which can be crippled by a severe flu season, is: how bad will it be?
The Chief Medical Officer Sir Chris Whitty took to social media to remind all those who are eligible to come forward for a flu jab. This is a sensible reminder in any given year – but there were some hints in the data he shared that this season might be a hard one.
Compared to last year flu cases have been rising faster earlier. In the last couple of weeks, the number of flu tests coming back positive has increased sharply. The speed of the rise is in line with the increase seen in the 2022-23 flu season.
No flu season is the same – the severity can vary due to the strains of flu circulating, the level of vaccination in the community, and the weather – but the 2022-23 season was, according to recent analysis, the worst in the UK in five years.
There are some other concerning signs – flu cases appear to be highest among school aged children– despite the fact vaccine uptake in this group is the highest it’s been.
For the time being at least, infection and hospitalisation rates in the most vulnerable groups – the very young and the elderly — remain low, although they are increasing.
The advice, as it is every season is for anyone who is eligible for a flu jab – children from 2 to 11, pregnant women, everyone over 65, vulnerable groups and health and social care workers – should get a flu jab if they haven’t already had one.
Australia has worst flu season on record
Australia has experienced its worst flu season on record.
Figures from Australia’s National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System showed 358,256 laboratory-confirmed cases of flu.
This beat 2019’s previous high of 313,615 cases and comes amid a declining rate in flu vaccinations.
Pic: iStock
How can you protect yourself?
You can catch the flu all year round, but it is especially common in winter.
The NHS says symptoms include: a sudden high temperature, an aching body, feeling exhausted, a dry cough, a sore throat, headache and difficulty sleeping.
“Vaccines work against the quad-demic,” Dr David Lloyd, a GP, previously told Sky News.
In fact, by getting vaccinated you halve your risk of catching any of the four illnesses, he said.
The NHS provides vaccinations against three of the four illnesses; flu, COVID-19 and, as of September this year, RSV.
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The flu vaccine is offered on the NHS every year in autumn and early winter. You can get it for free if you are over 65, have a long-term health condition, are pregnant, live in a care home, are a carer for someone, or live with someone with a weakened immune system.
Front line health and social care workers can also get a flu vaccine through their employer.
Analysis of the latest NHS vaccination data showed 335 vaccinations were given per minute for COVID, flu and RSV on average from 30 September to 17 November.
This works out to around 3.4 million vaccinations a week.
Weather warnings have been issued across the UK for strong winds of up to 80mph and heavy rain over the next few days.
A Met Office yellow warning for gusty conditions – 65-75mph in places – begins from 4pm today in north and northwest Scotland until Thursday morning.
That is followed by a second warning for strong and gusty winds on Thursday and Friday with “disruption possible” on the roads and railways.
Get the five-day forecast where you are
It covers an area of the UK from Northern Ireland, extending across parts of Scotland, north Wales, northern England, the north Midlands and East Anglia.
Two wind warnings have been issued for Wednesday in northern Scotland and a larger area of the UK for Thursday. Pic: Met Office
Inland gusts could hit between 40-50mph but along exposed coasts through the North Channel and Irish Sea it might reach 60-70mph.
Forecasters also predict heavy showers at times, until the warning expires at 6am on Sunday.
The Met Office advises, those on the coast, to “stay safe during stormy weather by being aware of large waves”.
A third warning for strong winds and heavy rain also comes into force – for England and Wales – from Friday afternoon.
Forecasters are predicting these winds “may quite widely gust to around 40-50mph” but “perhaps locally nearer 80mph”.
This could cause difficult driving conditions, travel disruption and flooding in places, it has warned.
Around 15-25mm (0.6-1in) of rain may fall quite widely, but “exposed higher ground in the north and west – particularly parts of Wales – could see closer to 50-70mm (2-2.7in) and are at risk of flooding.
UK flooding risk returns
The Met Office said there is a slight chance of damage to buildings, homes and businesses being flooded, difficult driving conditions, road closures and power cuts.
Some snow on higher ground above about 200m (656ft) is also predicted.
Around the UK, shipping areas have been warned of intense winds.
Two areas – Faeroes and Bailey – are on alert for storm force 10 and the risk of violent storm force 11, which involves gusts of 69 knots (79mph).
That would be ranked as the second highest level, just below hurricane force.
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British Army could not cope in major war
Mother sues over porn website on doll packaging
Cases of winter flu ‘rising rapidly’
Concerns after Storms Bert and Conall
Several communities are still recovering from damaging flooding caused by Storm Bert between 22 – 25 November.
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Businesses ‘destroyed’ by Storm Bert
Winds of more than 80mph were recorded across the UK during the height of the storm.
The Met Office says the weekend of 23-24 November was “exceptionally wet” across South Wales and South West England, with more than 150mm (5.9in) falling in some upland areas.
Storm Bert caused the River Taff to burst its banks and flood homes in Pontypridd. File pic: PA
On 23 November, the average amount of rainfall across the UK was 24mm (1in) making it the wettest day since October 2020.
Among dozens of flood warnings that were issued, a rare severe flood warning – meaning a danger to life – was put in place for the River Nene near Northampton.
The Billing Aquadrome was badly flooded by the River Nene during Storm Bert. File pic: PA
Storm Bert was followed by Conall on 27 November which dropped up to 30mm (1.18in) of rain across southern coastal counties of the UK.
It did cause some flooding, but the Met Office says the disruption was more isolated than Bert.
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