‘Heartbroken’ family of Fred Shand pay tribute to their ‘pride and joy’

The grieving family of Northampton teenager Fred Shand have issued a moving tribute to him, describing him as their “pride and joy”.

16-year-old Fred died after suffering a single stab wound following an incident near the Cock Hotel in Harborough Road, Northampton at about 3.35pm on Wednesday, March 22.

In advance of Fred’s funeral on Friday (May 12), his family have issued the following statement:

“Our beloved Rohan Anthony Shand, who was affectionately known as Fred by his family and friends, was returning home from school when his life was tragically cut short. This has left everyone who knew Fred totally devastated and heartbroken.

“Fred was a loving and kind person, who was respectful to people of all ages. He was also such a witty person who knew exactly what to say or do to put a big smile on our faces and was just a fun person to be around.

“He was like his dad’s fifth sense as Fred was the one who took care of all online activities, from ordering the shopping to helping with banking. But this was just one way he helped his dad as we feel his loss in so many ways, missing him every day.

“Fred was a typical teenage boy who loved his music and took great pride in his clothes. He enjoyed playing on his X-Box and was a talented footballer, but he also enjoyed spending time with his family – going on long walks with his dad and cousins and family movie nights.

“We have so many memories of our Fred, but the one which his dad cherishes the most is the time they spent together, riding to school and town. They would share long conversations about the future, which sadly will no longer become a reality.

“As his aunt, I remember how attentive he was with his younger cousins. He would take them to the park and walk behind them up the stairs of the slide to make sure they didn’t fall. Then when at the top, he would jump down and hurry to the bottom of the slide to catch them.

“He was truly our pride and joy. The lives of Fred’s dad, Rohan senior, and the rest of his family and friends have been shattered and will never be the same as we sadly lay our handsome boy to rest.”

Fred’s funeral service will be held at All Saint’s Cathedral Church in Northampton on Friday (May 12), followed by a private burial at Kingsthorpe Burial Ground.

His family and friends are understandably devastated by his death and are still trying to process what happened and grieve their loss.