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Jurors shown moment girl stabbed teachers and pupil in school knife attack

Girl, 14, has admitted wounding with intent by denies attempted murder over attack at school in Carmarthenshire

George Thompson
Friday 04 October 2024 20:29 BST
Schoolgirl, 14, scuffles with teachers moments before stabbing them

Jurors have been shown the moment a schoolgirl stabbed two teachers and a fellow pupil has been shown in court.

Swansea Crown Court was played CCTV footage of the 14-year-old girl attacking three people at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, also known as Amman Valley School, in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire in April.

The girl sat in court on Friday as the video showing her stabbing teachers Fiona Elias and Liz Hopkin, and another girl, was played to the jury.

It showed her trying to attack Ms Elias on April 24 while Ms Hopkin attempted to restrain her before she gets struck in the neck.

She could be seen moving on to stab another pupil before she was restrained by staff.

The knife which the teenager used to stab two teachers and a fellow pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, also known as Amman Valley School, in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire in April (Crown Prosecution Service/PA)
The knife which the teenager used to stab two teachers and a fellow pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, also known as Amman Valley School, in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire in April (Crown Prosecution Service/PA) (PA Media)

The girl – who cannot be named for legal reasons – previously admitted wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article on school premises, but denies attempted murder.

Prosecutor William Hughes KS previously said Ms Hopkin was the worst injured and had to be flown to Cardiff, where she was treated for stab wounds to her neck, knee, lower leg, chest and under her shoulder blade.

Mrs Elias and the teenager were taken to hospital in Swansea, where they were also treated for stab wounds.

An edited version of the video has been released by the Crown Prosecution service, showing the girl scuffling with the teachers in the moments before and after she attacked them, as well as the events leading up to the incident.

The video shown in court gave a detailed breakdown of the pupil’s movements throughout the day.

It showed her walking into the lower school hall where she sat behind a curtain next to a stage for around half an hour, where she could be seen stabbing the knife she would later use in the attack into the floor.

She later returned to the hall to join her friends before Ms Elias entered the room and ordered her to leave, with the teacher telling her she did not have permission to be in there.

The girl went into the corridor to continue talking to Ms Elias, following her around before returning to the hall and showed the other pupils the knife.

Teacher Fiona Elias was injured in the attack
Teacher Fiona Elias was injured in the attack (PA Media)

She shared a can of drink with a boy before walking outside after Ms Elias.

Initially she walked past the teacher, who was speaking to Ms Hopkin, before turning around and engaging them in conversation.

For around two minutes she could be seen talking to the teachers with her hands in her pockets before pulling the knife out and beginning her attack.

Her attack on Ms Elias started at about 11.17am, with Ms Hopkin attempting to restrain her before the girl stabs her in the leg.

While Ms Elias got away, the other teacher lost her grip on the girl, who approached her face-on, stabbing her once in the neck and then in the back.

Ms Hopkins managed to get away, temporarily leaving the girl on her own, before staff members Steven Hagget and Darrel Campbell arrived and attempted to calm her down.

She walked towards another group of pupils before shouting at a girl and running towards her, hitting her with the knife.

Mr Campbell can then be seen restraining the girl.

The trial continues on Monday.

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