Reading stabbing: Girl scared before Olly Stephens attack, court told

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Oliver Stephens
Image caption,

Olly Stephens was stabbed to death in Emmer Green in Reading

A teenage girl who "lured" a 13-year-old boy to a park where he was stabbed to death admitted she was "kind of scared" beforehand, a court has heard.

Oliver Stephens, known as Olly, was pronounced dead at Bugs Bottom fields in Emmer Green, Reading, on 3 January.

The prosecution told the court a witness described seeing punches thrown and later tried to resuscitate Olly.

Two boys, both 14, deny murder. A girl, also 14, and one of the boys, have pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

The court previously heard Olly had been "lured" to a park by a girl and "ambushed" by two teenage boys, who were "motivated by perceived grievances" against him.

The alleged attackers were said to have left Olly with stab wounds to the chest and back after a short scuffle.

Image caption,

A witness described a "confrontation" at Bug Bottom fields in Emmer Green

Alison Morgan QC, prosecuting, told how the girl sent a voice message to one of the boys before meeting up with them, saying: "Kind of scared, not going to lie."

Ms Morgan said: "This shows she knew of the enormity of what was about to happen."

The prosecutor told jurors of an off-duty nurse who was walking her dog and described witnessing "some kind of confrontation", and Olly shouting, swearing and "gesticulating" towards the boys.

"She then heard a metallic sound as if metal hit something hard, and the fight just stopped and everyone disappeared," she added.

'Deliberate attack'

Olly was seen "staggering around" with patches of blood underneath his shirt before struggling to breathe, jurors were told.

After he collapsed, the nurse knew he was in cardiac arrest and began CPR on him.

The jurors were told that paramedics worked to save his life for 30 minutes before he died in an ambulance.

In that time, Olly's family had been alerted and came to the scene.

Another witness, who saw the teenagers leaving the scene, said in a statement the girl kept looking back behind her shoulder and appeared to be "arrogant", the court heard.

Ms Morgan told the court: "This was not an accident, this was a deliberate attack in which stab wounds were fatally inflicted on Olly Stephens' body."

The trial continues.

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