Ashford teen Owen Kinghorn remembered year after his death in a Great Chart field
10:53, 07 September 2020
updated: 11:09, 07 September 2020
The heartbroken family of a beloved teenager have paid tribute to him on the first anniversary of his tragic death.
Owen Kinghorn was found dead in a field in Great Chart near Ashford on September 7, prompting an outpouring of grief from family, friends and schoolmates.
The 15-year-old’s death was noted by a subsequent coroner’s report as accidental - caused by an overdose of the drug MDMA.
He had become separated from his friends, one of whom had filmed him just before the Towers School pupil died.
Tributes at the time included a balloon release on The Ridge in Kennington, where those who knew him gathered to pay their respects.
Now, a newly installed tribute is a memorial bench near his grave at St Mary’s Church in Great Chart.
This is in addition to one erected at Towers School in June.
His family - who have campaigned on behalf of drug awareness charity The Kenward Trust - issued a statement on the anniversary of his death.
It reads: “We are thankful for the years we had with our bright, beautiful boy but are devastated and heartbroken by the years stolen from him and us.
“His bench in the churchyard opposite his grave provides us with a peaceful place where we can sit with him, our thoughts and our memories.
“We still have so many unanswered questions regarding his last moments here and investigations into the supply of the drug have not led to any arrests.
“If anyone has any information that may be relevant I would urge them to come forward so that we can get some justice for Owen and our community.
“If drugs weren’t available my son would still be with us today, social media platforms make our children, whatever age, vulnerable prey and a dealer has no concern or care of the consequences.
“We support the Kenward Trust ‘Think Differently’ project who work on prevention, educating young people on the dangers of drug and substance misuse.”
The JustGiving page set up in his memory has already raised more than £4,800 in donations towards the charity’s Think Differently campaign.
Teachers at Towers have also paid tribute to Owen in a number of ways over the last 12 months, including creating an award in his honour.
The ‘Owen Kinghorn Achievement Award’ will be given out annually to a high-attaining sports person who has shown unique determination, resilience and perseverance throughout the year.
First awarded in January, the prize was given to Year 9 student Jacob Kennedy by Owen’s grandfather, David.
During lockdown, the school's memorial bench was installed in a prime spot.
It is situated next to the 3G pitch, where Owen - a talented footballer - would spend every lunchtime with his friends without fail.
At the request of the family, there was no big unveiling and it was a low-key affair with Rachel and David Kinghorn, a couple of his closest friends, principal Richard Billings and the vice principal.
To donate to the Kinghorn family’s fundraising appeal, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/owen-kinghorn .
