A teenager who injured two teachers and a pupil in a stabbing rampage at a school in Wales has been found guilty of attempted murder.
The 14-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, yelled “I’m going to kill you” when she launched her attack on assistant head teacher Fiona Elias during morning break at Amman Valley School in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, on 24 April last year.
During a trial at Swansea Crown Court, a jury heard how she then stabbed another teacher, called Liz Hopkin, before moving on to stab another girl and eventually being restrained by staff.
On Monday, the jury members found the girl guilty of the attempted murder of the three people. She had denied the charge, and admitted to wounding with intent.
The judge Paul Thomas KC thanked the jury for their work in a “difficult and unusual” trial, and told the court: “At the end of the day, if she was not a 14-year-old girl and had been an adult the most likely outcome would have been a life sentence.”
The judge said he would adjourn sentencing until 28 April for the preparation of pre-sentence reports, including a psychology report.
Addressing the defendant, the judge said: “I am not going to pass sentence today. I need to think about it and need reports prepared upon you. I am not going to be able to pass sentence until April 28. I am sorry it is so far ahead in the future but I need to get it right.”
At the week-long trial, William Hughes KC, prosecuting, said the attack was launched on Ms Elias after the teacher had asked about her school uniform outside the a school hall.
The girl pulled out a knife from her pocket and began to stab the teacher, before Ms Hopkin stepped in and was also attacked. Another pupil was also stabbed before another teacher took the girl down in a head lock.
The incident triggered a major incident in the school with students placed on lockdown as police and ambulance staffed arrived.
The trial heard that the girl told officers after her arrest: “I’m pretty sure this is going to be on the news, so more eyes will be looking at me. That’s one way to be a celebrity.”
She also asked, “are they dead?” and “how am I going to face my family after what I’ve done?”
Prosecutors said notes and drawings were found at the girl’s home, referencing Ms Elias and the girl she attacked. One note said the girl will “burn” and another “cut their mouths and eyes”.
During the trial, the girl told jurors she was sorry for the incident and could not remember large parts of what happened.
“It doesn’t sound like me. It doesn’t feel like something I would do,” she said.
The court heard last week that the girl had started taking a knife to school in primary school because she had been bullied, and would also self-harm. The girl said her father would check her schoolbag for a knife daily, so she had taken to keeping it in her pocket.
Swansea Crown Court heard the teenager, who was 13 at the time of the incident, launched the attack during the morning break using her father’s multi-tool.
All three victims survived the attack, but Ms Hopkin, who was stabbed in the neck, had to be flown to Cardiff by air ambulance.
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