A 16-year-old schoolboy has been acquitted of attempted murder but found guilty of wounding with intent after stabbing a teacher in the head at a school in Pembrokeshire.
Attack at Milford Haven Comprehensive School
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, attacked history teacher Vicki Williams at Milford Haven Comprehensive School in February. The court heard he approached her desk on the afternoon of February 5, asking her to check his schoolwork. Mrs Williams said 'alarm bells' rang when he shut the classroom door, claiming it was cold.
The pupil then pulled a large kitchen knife from his bag and struck her in the head. A violent struggle ensued as Mrs Williams tried to take the knife, before the boy fled the school. She sustained a scalp wound, scratches on her back, and minor cuts to her hands, requiring hospital treatment in Haverfordwest.
Defense and Prosecution Arguments
During the trial at Swansea Crown Court, the defendant claimed Mrs Williams had seen the knife in his rucksack and 'tried to grab it,' leading to an 'accidental assault.' Matthew Roberts KC, defending, suggested the boy brought the knife to school to 'show off' to other boys, noting there was 'no recorded history of conflict' or 'any animosity' between them. The teenager had already pleaded guilty to possessing a kitchen knife on school grounds.
Prosecutor Christopher Rees KC argued the boy planned the attack, stating: 'He brought the knife into school because he planned to attack the teacher. Why Vicki Williams? Well, she was, at quarter past three, a lone female teacher, she was an easy target. He's not attacked a male teacher, has he? He's attacked one of the young female teachers, alone in her classroom.' Mrs Williams told the jury she believed she was dying after the incident, which the prosecution described as a 'sustained attack' that would have continued had she not disarmed him.
Verdict and Sentencing
On Monday, a jury reached a majority verdict of 11 to one, convicting the boy of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm but acquitting him of attempted murder after just over four hours of deliberation. He will be sentenced on September 3 at Swansea Crown Court.
