Olly Stephen's dad: "Once I held his hand I knew he was gone"
Olly's parents talk to us after his murderers were sentenced
Last updated 24th Sep 2021
On the 3rd January, 13-year-old Olly Stephens was lured to a meeting in Reading and murdered by two fourteen-year-old boys.
As those involved are given their sentences, Olly's parents talk to MFR about Olly, his murder and how difficult the trial has been.
The two boys were both handed life sentences with older boy to serve a minimum of 12 years and the younger 13 years.
The girl has been jailed for three years and two months.
The day Olly was killed
Olly's father Stuart told us about the moment he heard of his son's stabbing.
"I heard Amanda scream 'what do you mean he's been stabbed?' - and I just bolted out the house.
"I just remember the faces, I just remember everyone turning and looking at me - and just the horror written on their faces."
Amanda, Olly's mum continued: "Because Olly was just lying lifeless on the ground."
Stuart said: "I was trying to get to him, everybody kept stopping me to get to him, but I managed to get hold of his hand.
"I was kneeling in his blood, so I knew he'd lost a lot of blood."
"And once I held his hand I knew he was gone.
Olly 'didn't see danger'
Olly was autistic and Stuart said they were always concerned about him: "Every time he went out we weren't worried about him but about what situations he would get himself in because of the way his brain worked."
Amanda said: " He didn't see danger."
"You just couldn't comprehend children doing this to another child."
Speaking to MFR, Olly's mother Amanda Stephens described how hard the trial had been. "It was shocking. It was shocking what we were seeing and what we were hearing.
"And we were trying to take it in and it was really hard.
" You just couldn't comprehend children doing this to another child."
His father Stuart Stephens said: "All he had done was stand up for another child - and that was how he got paid back."
"I knew Olly had been murdered, I knew Olly was dead but it just hits you again."
Amanda told us the enormity of what occurred keeps coming back: "You know what's happened. Because of the court case, we now know all of the facts.
"But now and again, as we drove away that night after getting the verdicts, and we were in the car, just half way home I thought 'oh my god Olly's been murdered.'
"I knew Olly had been murdered, I knew Olly was dead but it just hits you again."