£20,000 in memory of teenager

MORE than £20,000 has been raised in memory of a teenager who was stabbed to death in Emmer Green.

Oliver Stephens, who was known as Olly, died after an incident in Bugs Bottom fields on January 3.

A GoFundMe page was started two days after his death and it has received £20,085 from more than 1,500 different donors.

Some of the money will go towards Olly’s funeral and some will be given to anti-knife crime charities.

An online petition has also been set up, calling for a ban on anyone under 21 or without a licence from possessing a weapon. So far that has gathered more than 110,000 signatures.

A 13-year-old girl and two boys, aged 13 and 14, have been charged with conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. The girl has also been charged with perverting the course of justice.

They appeared at Reading Crown Court last month and were remanded in youth detention custody. A provisional trial date was set for June 21.

Olly, who lived in Reading, was a pupil at Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre in Emmer Green.

His family described him as “funny, charming and beautiful”, adding: “Oliver was an enigma, having both autism and suspected pathological demand avoidance, he became a challenge we never shied away from.”

Floral tributes and messages have been left at the scene and school.

To make a donation, visit bit.ly/3hZVtvd

To sign the petition, visit bit.ly/2XvAOWg