A crowdfunder has raised thousands of pounds for the mother of a 13-year-old boy, born in Brighton, who was stabbed to death two days before Christmas.
Alfie Hallett, who was brought up in Bognor, lost his life trying to protect his mother Rachel from her Portuguese ex-boyfriend, his grandmother Linda Hallett said.
The crowdfunder said: “We are fundraising for Rachel Hallett. Alfie Hallett, her son, of only 13 years old, was cruelly taken from her on Tuesday 23 December.
“Having raised Alfie alone, both emotionally and financially, Rachel has worked hard to provide for only son.
“Now, in this time of immeasurable tragedy, I would like to offer everyone who wishes to help the ability to donate some money to at least alleviate her immediate financial concerns about how to cover the funeral costs for her precious boy.”
The crowdfunder also said that the money raised would also “hopefully provide Rachel with the means to have a brief respite while she deals with this huge shock and the devastation of what was her whole world”.
The Daily Mail website quoted Linda Hallett as saying that Alfie was a “lovely, gentle boy with a heart of gold”.
He was murdered on Tuesday 23 December in his family’s home, in Casais, near the city of Tomar, about 80 miles north of the Portuguese capital Lisbon.
The man suspected of stabbing Alfie was named as Goncalo Carvalho. He was alleged to have tied up and beaten Alfie’s mother.
The Mail said that Carvalho died in a gas blast at his home as police prepared to arrest him. He was said to have been jailed previously for stabbing a man 35 times.
According to the Mail, Alfie’s mother and father, Mark Hallett, separated when he was about four years old.
The publisher quoted Mrs Hallett as saying: “She didn’t tell Mark she was leaving and didn’t tell him where she was.”
A few years later, when he found out, he flew to Portugal and obtained legal permission to bring Alfie home for Christmas.
Mrs Hallett said that it was the last time the family had been able to get together.
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