Walkers raise funds for tragic Casey’s family

HUNDREDS of neighbours, friends and family of murdered teenager Casey Kearney joined together for a fundraising walk in Doncaster yesterday in memory of the tragic 13-year-old.

Several groups of walkers hiked the five miles from Rossington, the village in which Casey lived, to Elmfield Park where she was fatally stabbed earlier this month, before walking back to Rossington.

The teenager dialled 999 for help after being attacked in the park on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 14, while on her way to meet a friend.

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She was found lying injured by a passer-by and died in hospital later that day.

“The walk into Elmfield Park marks the journey she did that day, and the walk back is the journey she never made”, said one of the organisers of the fundraising walk, Kerry Meredith.

Around 200 people took part in the walk yesterday, carrying collection buckets along the streets of Doncaster with pictures of Casey upon them, and holding pink balloons.

Many lit candles at the spot in Elmfield Park where several bouquets and teddy bears have been left in tribute to the teenager.

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Ms Meredith, 28, said: “We live in the same street as Casey and obviously, as soon as we heard what happened, it really brought it home. You don’t expect things like that to happen.

“We thought about what we could do to bring everyone together to do something and raise money for the family, to spend on whatever they need.

“Around 200 people have been here today, all friends and neighbours, pulling together to do what they can to help.”

Following yesterday’s walk, there was a fundraising concert in the Styrrup pub in Rossington with Britain’s Got Talent finalists 2 Grand.

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Funds raised through both the walk and the benefit concert will go to the Kearney family.

Sallie Lax, 15, one half of 2 Grand, went to the same school as Casey.

She said she and her grandfather, the other half of the group, sang the song Unforgettable in memory of the teenager.

Sallie said: “I didn’t know her personally but I saw her around school.

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“We’ve had a lot of people from our school earlier in the year die as well, in car crashes and stuff, so for our school to lose another person it’s hard, but everyone joins together in a community and helps each other out.”

Julie Bush, landlady at the Styrrup, said she knew Casey’s family personally.

She added: “It’s total devastation. Everybody’s hanging on to their kids and making sure they’re all right.

“Here at the pub, we’ve got the ideal place and the ideal opportunity to help as much as we can, and that’s what we wanted to do.

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“It’s been a really good day. Everybody’s been really good sports and supporting each other.”

Sharleene Finn, 30, one of the organisers of the fundraising event, said yesterday: “It’s very important, especially with what’s happened, to get people back together and make sure we do right for the family. Everyone’s heartbroken but the community has come together really, really well.

“I can’t believe the amount people have donated and the amount of stuff that people have done.”

Casey had left her home in Rossington at around midday on Valentine’s Day and caught the bus to Doncaster town centre, where she intended to meet a friend.

She was then attacked as she walked through Elmfield Park.

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Hannah Bonser, 26, has been charged with her murder and possession of two knives.

Bonser, of Cusworth House, Doncaster, will appear at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday, May 10, for a plea and case management hearing, with a provisional trial date set for Monday, July 2.

She has been remanded in custody.

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