Two boys shared hostile texts about a 13-year-old boy in which one of them spoke about wanting to kill him before using a girl to lure him to a park where they stabbed him to death, a court heard today.
Oliver Stephens, known as Olly, was killed at Bugs Bottom field in Emmer Green, Reading, Berkshire, on January 3 this year, jurors were told.
Both alleged attackers were said to have had ‘grievances’ with Olly for ‘snaking’ them, while the girl is said to have described any violence against him as ‘karma’ in the run-up to his death.
Olly Stephens, 13, was stabbed to death at a park just 250 yards from his home in Emmer Green, near Reading, in January
The two boys, who are now 14, deny murder and are on trial at Reading Crown Court.
The girl, also 14, and the older one of the two boys on trial have both admitted manslaughter.
None of the three can be named for legal reasons.
Jurors were told the defendants had shared several messages on Snapchat in the days leading up to Olly’s death, which demonstrated ‘hostility’ towards him.
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The court heard how one of the defendants originally sought the help of another girl to ‘set up’ Olly.
But that first girl got cold feet. She said in one message, sent the day before the attack: ‘When do I have to do this? I feel like I’m part of a murder team.’
The younger boy is alleged to have replied: ‘Nah, it’s not a murder just start trying to get close to him.’
The court heard that the second girl, who admitted manslaughter, then sought to meet up with Olly, although he was reluctant to go too far away from his home because he did not want to upset his parents.
She said in one message to one of the defendants: ‘Karma – he (Olly) deserves all of this.’
The older boy also said: ‘I actually hate the kid with a passion – if I was to see him right now I’d probably end up killing him.’
He added: ‘Everyone’s after him. I don’t care. If I see him I’ll just tell him straight. I’ll bring up everything he’s done I’ll make him say sorry. I’ll make him lick my shoe. I’ll just give him bangs or stab him or something. I don’t, I don’t know and I don’t care.’
Other messages referenced the possession, handling and use of knives, the prosecutor said. In one the older boy spoke of wanting to ‘stick a knife through his kneck’, it is claimed.
Olly was pronounced dead at Bugs Bottom fields in January (where police are pictured)
Opening the prosecution case, Alison Morgan QC said: ‘(The girl) lured Olly to the location of the attack, in a place called Bugs Bottom, and she lured him to allow the attack to be carried out by the two defendants.
‘The attack had been planned by the defendants in the days leading up to the attack.
‘The defendants were motivated by perceived grievances with Olly. At least one of the two of them had a knife with them.
‘They carried out a joint attack, during the course of which one of the two of them used the knife they were carrying to stab Olly – once to the chest and once to the back.’
She added: ‘This wasn’t some consensual fight, an agreement to have a fight – it was an ambush on Olly Stephens when he was not expecting it.
‘It was a planned attack designed to put him in a vulnerable position, unaware of what was about to happen to him.’
The jury saw a series of text messages from the girl arranging to meet Olly so he could sell her some cigarettes in Bugs Bottom.
In a chilling message the 14-year-old boy told his companion, 13: ‘Nah, it’s dead serious. It’s on site with him.’
The girl then sent a voice message saying: ‘Cause basically Olly texted me randomly, like yesterday was like oh do you want cigarettes, like obviously I don’t smoke cigarettes but he was like do you want some…. so I was like yeah because (Boy B) wants me to set him up.
‘So then (the 14-year-old) is gonna go and bang him and pan him and s***. I’m so excited you don’t understand but what I’m worried about is that imagine he’s trying to set me up, I don’t know who with cause, like who the f*** would back him anyway, but like imagine he’s trying to set me up whilst I’m setting him up.’
The 14-year-old then added: ”Cos bare man after him. There’s money on his head. Oi don’t tell him anything though, innit.’
The prosecutor also revealed that the older boy had sent numerous text messages to Olly during the early hours of January 3 in an effort to provoke him before the attack.
Ms Morgan said the defendants fled the scene before getting rid of incriminating evidence, such as mobile phone data and clothes worn during the attack.
She said the younger boy used a knife to stab Olly, but that the older boy must have known he was carrying the weapon.
The prosecutor said the girl was also present at the scene during the attack.
She said: ‘Putting it bluntly, Olly was ambushed by these defendants.
‘He was physically attacked by (the two boys) and with (the girl) standing by, lending assistance by her presence.
‘There were others who were also present but did not play a significant role in the attack.’
