A 16-year-old student has been found not guilty of attempted murder after stabbing his history teacher, Vicki Williams, in the head with a kitchen knife. The incident occurred on February 5 at Milford Haven Comprehensive School in Pembrokeshire.
The pupil, who was 15 at the time of the attack and cannot be identified due to his age, had followed Williams into an empty classroom after asking for help with his history work. He then produced a knife from his bag and lunged at her. Williams told Swansea Crown Court that she believed she was going to die during the assault, stating, "I've seen the knife, I know I've been stabbed, all I'm thinking at that point is, 'I need help'."
The court heard that Williams, who sustained injuries to her head, back, and hands, grabbed the knife and pushed the boy back with her legs while screaming. She described the look on the teenager's face as one of "pure hatred."
During police interviews, Williams recounted that the boy had entered her classroom "cool and collected" to have his work checked. She noted her confusion, as he had not previously seemed interested in his studies. Alarm bells began to ring when he closed the classroom door, citing the cold. Williams suspected he was attempting to distract her while searching his bag. "I ask him again, 'are you sure you're alright?' And then he pulls [the knife] out of the bag and lunges at me," she testified.
The defense argued that Williams had seen the knife and attempted to grab it from the boy, resulting in an "accidental assault" during the struggle. However, the jury returned a majority verdict of guilty on the charge of wounding with intent, as well as unlawful wounding, after four hours of deliberation. The judge accepted the verdict.
The student had previously pleaded guilty to possessing a kitchen knife on school grounds. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 3.