THE boy accused of murdering Olly Stephens claimed he threw the knife the 13-year-old was stabbed with into the River Thames, a court has heard.

That’s according to the teenager charged with killing Olly, who died from stab wounds inflicted at Bugs Bottom fields in January.

The defendant, who denies the charge, gave his first evidence at Reading Crown Court yesterday (July 8).

READ MORE: Everything the boy said in court yesterday

Another older boy has also been charged with murder and also denies the accusation.

The younger defendant told the jury he threw the knife into the Thames from Reading Bridge.

Asked why he threw the knife away by Timothy Raggatt QC, his defence counsel, the younger defendant said: “because I just swung at someone.

'There's a chance I just stabbed someone and that's a serious crime.'

The younger boy, who admitted to one count of perverting the course of justice yesterday, also denies one other count of perverting the course of justice.

The count the boy admitted to relates to his disposal of clothing he had worn on the day Olly died, which was later found in a bag near a railway line.

READ MORE: What happened in first week of Olly Stephens trial

Having returned home following the altercation with Olly, the boy said he did not notice any blood on his clothes despite forensics later discovering Olly’s blood on said clothes.

Mr Raggatt asked the boy why he put his old clothes in a bag and threw them away.

The boy responded: “There was no specific reason [why I did this] but I didn't want anyone to find them as they could use that as evidence for me stabbing him [Olly].’

In the hours after Olly died, the younger boy exchanged messages with friends and calls with the elder defendant.

He claimed he could not remember what he said in those calls.

READ MORE: Why we can't name the teenagers accused of murdering Olly Stephens

Asked why he told a girl he 'saw red' when he stabbed Olly, he explains: 'I was just paying her lip service and giving her an answer.

He said he 'didn't want to think about it [the stabbing]' in the hours after the incident.

Quizzed as to why he uninstalled Snapchat and Instagram after the incident, he said: 'I was getting all sorts of messages from people I didn't know telling me they were going to kill me.

'I couldn't be asked to get all these messages so I deleted the apps.'

He told Mr Raggatt there was no other reason he deleted the apps.

The trial continues.