Police have accused a young person of killing a 14-year-old child who was stabbed to death in a park.
On Monday night in Gateshead, Tomasz Oleszak, 14, was stabbed in the Aycliffe Crescent neighborhood of the Springwell Estate.
Early on Tuesday morning, the young man succumbed to his injuries; his passing shocked the neighborhood.
A 14-year-old child has now been charged by Northumbria Police with Tomasz’s murder. The unnamed adolescent suspect is also accused of possession of a bladed object and attempted injury.
At 10 a.m. today, he is scheduled to appear at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court.
Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Helena Barron stated: “This is a heartbreaking tragedy that has left a family completely distraught.”
“Tomasz’s family is still very much on our minds, and we will do whatever we can to help them. At this time, we also request that their privacy be maintained.
“We have now charged a teenager with murder, but the investigation is still ongoing, therefore we are continuing to ask for information from the public.”
As a “shy” six-year-old, Tomasz had emigrated from Poland to the UK in search of “a better life.”
However, the well-liked youngster passed away in the wee hours of Tuesday after being stabbed shortly after 8 p.m. on Monday in the Springwell Estate’s Aycliffe Crescent neighborhood.
Despite the greatest efforts of the medical team, he subsequently passed away at the hospital where he was brought. Support is being provided to his heartbroken family by cops with specialized training.
Two youngsters were detained after a police investigation.
The second suspect, a 13-year-old girl who was detained on suspicion of helping a criminal, has been released on bond.
The young suspect was charged with a crime with the approval of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Our sympathies are with the family of Tomasz Oleszak at this trying time, said Christopher Atkinson, head of the crown court section at CPS in the north-east.
The Crown Prosecution Service reminds everyone involved that the child is now the subject of ongoing criminal proceedings and has a right to a fair trial.
It is crucial that there be no internet reporting, criticism, or information sharing that might in any way jeopardize these proceedings.
Tomasz, who spent much of his youth on the Springwell estate with his mother Kamila Wisniewska and his baby brother, was referred to by those who knew him as “a friend to so many.”
His mother relocated the family from Wroclaw in southwest Poland, and when they established a good reputation in the Springwell neighborhood, she secured employment at a nearby biscuit factory.
Tomasz enjoyed playing football and participated in the under-15s midfield for the Cleveland Hall junior team in his community.
The young person’s death, according to club chairman Bob Boustead, “shattered the entire community.”
Tomasz came to us as a little child not long after his family from Poland moved in Gateshead, according to Mr. Boustead.
He was a bashful small boy of six years old who didn’t know any English at the time.
He must have found it quite challenging to fit in with his team and the town, but he was a very resilient young man who eventually began to feel at home.
He got to know the guys better and developed friends as his English grew stronger. He persisted in playing football and went through all the teams till Covid scored.
There was certainly a pause at that time, and we thought he returned to Poland once it was finished.
He returned more secure and self-assured; he had grown into a great young man who was a valuable member of his squad and the local football community.
“We are heartbroken by what has happened to him,” his relatives said. “He came to this nation with his parents and family in search of a better life, and he lost it like this to a rather terrible act.”
Paul Howson, the teen’s coach, created a GoFundMe campaign to support the family, and by 9.30 am on Friday, it had almost raised £20,500.
‘On behalf of myself and Tomasz’ coaches, we are all extremely heartbroken to learn of the awful circumstances that happened on October 3, 2022, leading to Tomasz regrettably dying away in the early hours of October 4, 2022,’ Paul said in his eulogy for Tomasz.
“Tomasz was a really sweet, compassionate young guy. His parents brought him to the UK for a better life, and he didn’t deserve what has happened to him,” his mother said.
We all had the pleasure of coaching him; he was a highly passionate football player who was well-liked and loved by many.
He was a cherished member of his neighborhood and will be sorely missed by everyone who knew and loved him.
Every parent’s greatest dread has come true, and we can’t even begin to understand how they are feeling.
According to Mr. Boustead, a fundraising event that was originally planned to raise money for the club’s new 3G artificial turf field would now benefit Tomasz’s family.
I’ve played football for 50 years, and I’ve never seen a tragedy like this; it’s really difficult to comprehend, he said.
“When someone in our community is in need, we come together, and that’s why the family’s fundraising campaign started.”
Tomasz went at Gateshead’s Cardinal Hume Catholic School. Headteacher Brendan Robson issued a statement in which he said, “We are heartbroken to learn of this unfortunate occurrence involving one of our childs. At this very sad moment, our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
“As a school, we are doing all we can to help our pupils and everyone who is touched in our community; we are also assisting the authorities with their continuing investigations.”
On Wednesday, police continued to be present at the location of the incident from Monday.
“Tomasz had his whole life ahead of him, but this awful occurrence has cut his life short and left his family completely distraught,” said Chief Superintendent Helena Barron.
They are in the thoughts of everyone at Northumbria Police as we continue to provide them with all the help we can because their loss is unfathomable.
“The investigation is still very much continuing, and I appreciate the cooperation of the Springwell Estate neighborhood and everyone who has come forward with information.”
“While instances of this kind are uncommon in our area, we are aware of the effects they have on the participants’ life and the larger community.
“When they do happen, we’re dedicated to holding those accountable to account.”
The senior officer further advised people “not to speculate” on the specifics of the inquiry, warning that what could seem to be a harmless social media post or remark to you might instead sabotage the ongoing investigation and hurt the victim’s family much more.
“We would urge that you come forward immediately to police if you did observe anything or have information in regard to what has transpired.”
When word of the teen’s passing spread across the neighborhood, heartbroken locals flocked to Whitehills Nature Park to leave flower tributes in Tomasz’s honor.
As the Gateshead community comes to grips with its devastating loss, schoolmates and members of the general public laid flower bouquets on the park’s entrance gates on the Springwell Estate.
The boy had “gone too soon,” one individual said in homage to him.
‘You were so adored,’ they remarked. Peace be with you.
Another person shared their regret at the teenager’s terrible death, adding they would “miss them.”
I’m so sorry you had to die the way you did, they said. I’m simply relieved that you are no longer in pain. You are now in a better place, and I will miss you very much.
“And keep in mind that we adore you forever.” I’m wishing you luck in paradise.
Additionally, one letter read: “Fly high brother.” This was a touching homage. Wow, I can’t believe you left. gone too quickly.
Neighbors who live nearby the incident’s site have also expressed their disbelief.
With her spouse and two children, ages one and three, administrator Glenisa Milasiute, 37, has lived in the neighborhood for four years. She said: “It’s not the finest location, but you expect people to steal, not murder.” Just pathetic, really.
It makes me hesitant to go out in the neighborhood. To make us feel secure, the municipality need to investigate installing CCTV in this area. My partner went to the stores and saw something was going on, but I didn’t see anything.
The neighbors said that someone had been stabbed when he questioned them. He claimed to have heard children yelling, but it was just normal for children to do when they’re nearby.
“Normally, our childs don’t play on the street, but that worries me.” Even though we were previously considering relocating, this has made us think about it more.
A senior citizen claimed, “Last night, I heard the ambulance, and blue lights could be seen through my window.
It is a major shock. The boy was just a little child, which is such a pity. Two lives have been lost.
Another local claimed: “It doesn’t surprise me around here, but the most disturbing thing is that they’re childs.”
He was a little child, and he didn’t deserve to die. These days, it’s childs and all the stuff they see online.
‘We noticed the boys rushing around yelling and shouting at around 8pm, there were approximately four lads who raced through,’ a another neighbor on the street who wished to remain unnamed added.
My boyfriend called an ambulance for the victim while she was out smoking a cigarette, and she stayed with him until they arrived.
A second neighbor, Ella, who only wanted to be identified by her first name, claimed: “I heard someone screaming as I was putting my child to bed, and about 10 minutes later, when I was throwing something in the garbage, I noticed all the police vehicles.”
When I asked my next-door neighbor whether everything was OK, she replied that her son’s buddy had been stabbed and that the police were attempting to resuscitate him. She was so heartbroken that she started weeping.
She said that they attended school together and that he was a decent young man.
It has been a rather gloomy day. It’s depressing to see my youngster playing on the street outside. You don’t anticipate that to occur where you reside. It is our children’s terror.
“It’s always been fairly nice around here, although we have had a few situations with youngsters behaving up over the six-week vacations, but it’s not normally like this,” the speaker said.
It is tragic that our community has lost another young person to terrible violence, and my sympathies are with the victim’s family who will be going through unspeakable suffering, according to Kim McGuinness, the commissioner of Northumbria Police and Crime.
“This should never have occurred, and it is now up to our police to conduct in-depth investigations to uncover all the factors that contributed to the sad death of a young life.”
I understand the shock and worry that will undoubtedly be experienced by local communities, and I am certain that police will be available to reassure them.
Anyone with information is urged to get in touch with police by phoning 101 or using our website’s “Tell Us Something” page and referencing log NP-20221003-0995.