Girl, 14, detained for 15 years for attempted murder of two teachers and pupil

A 14-year-old schoolgirl has been detained for 15 years for the attempted murder of two teachers and a pupil at a school in South Wales.

The girl armed herself with her father’s multi-tool before attacking teachers Fiona Elias and Liz Hopkin, and a pupil, at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, on April 24 last year.

All were treated in hospital but survived the incident.

What you did at school almost a year ago to the day has caused a large number of people a great deal of people harm and upset. It’s hugely affected many lives, including, of course, your own

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of attempted murder at Swansea Crown Court following a week-long trial earlier this year.

Judge Paul Thomas KC sentenced her to 15 years’ detention at the court on Monday, of which half is to be spent on remand.

Sentencing the girl, the judge said he did not believe she had shown genuine remorse for her actions.

“I think you enjoyed the reaction and the publicity,” he said.

“I don’t think you are genuinely sorry for what you did; you have said you are, but I don’t think that’s how you really feel.

“You will have been told by those representing you that you will have to be kept in a secure place, as you have been for nearly a year already.

“Even there, where you are at the moment, you are a danger to others, and you have made threats to someone.”

He added: “What you did at school almost a year ago to the day has caused a large number of people a great deal of people harm and upset.

“It’s hugely affected many lives, including, of course, your own.

“But Mrs Elias and Ms Hopkin have read out this morning how they have suffered.

“For one reason or another, you weren’t really listening to what they had to say.

“You tried to kill three people, two teachers and another pupil.

“You came to school that day planning to do that, as far as Mrs Elias was concerned.

“I say this was planned – you knew you can’t take a knife, that you had been warned in the past, you never the less did so.

“You had it open in your pocket to attack Mrs Elias.”

The judge said he believed she had intentionally carried out the attack during the school break, to have the biggest audience possible.

“You wanted as many as possible to see what you planned to do,” he said.

“What you thought of Mrs Elias, what you thought (the other pupil) might have done to you, whatever problems with bullying you had, none of that comes within a million miles of what you did or tried to do.”

In February, the judge said if she had been an adult the most likely outcome would have been a life sentence.

The girl had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of wounding with intent and a further count of possession of a bladed article on a school premises – but denied attempted murder.

As the girl attacked the first teacher, witnesses heard her yell, “I’m going to f****** kill you” and pull out a knife.

The jury also heard she had told friends she was going to “do something stupid that could get me expelled” which could involve Mrs Elias on the day of the attack.

After she was arrested, the girl made a series of unsolicited comments in the back of a police vehicle, telling officers, “I stabbed her – oopsies.”

“I’m pretty sure this is going to be on the news, so more eyes will be looking at me,” she said.

“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?”

Swansea Crown Court was shown CCTV of the incident, showing the teenager, who was 13 at the time, attack Mrs Elias during the morning break using her father’s multi-tool.

Ms Hopkin stepped in to help, attempting to restrain the girl but was injured herself, receiving injuries to her neck, back and legs.

Other members of staff stepped in and attempted to calm the teenager, and she ran off to stab another girl before being restrained.

All three victims survived the attack, but Ms Hopkin, who was stabbed in the neck, had to be flown to Cardiff by air ambulance.