Trial of schoolgirl, 14, accused of trying to murder two teachers is stopped as judge says there has been a great irregularity in the jury
The trial of a schoolgirl accused of trying to murder two teachers has been stopped and the jury discharged.
The trial of a schoolgirl accused of trying to murder two teachers has been stopped and the jury discharged.
The 14-year-old defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has admitted wounding with intent.
But she denies attempted murder after stabbing three people at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman - also known as Amman Valley School - in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, on April 24.
During the trial at Swansea Crown Court this morning, Judge Paul Thomas KC discharged the jury.
He said: There has been a great irregularity in the jury which we all agree has irretrievably compromised our ability to consider this matter.
The girl who went on trial had attacked teachers including Fiona Elias (pictured) at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman - also known as Amman Valley School - in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire
Her attack on Ms Elias lasted less than a minute before the teacher managed to get away and the girl began her assault on Liz Hopkin (pictured), stabbing her once in the neck
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to three counts of wounding with intent but denied three counts of attempted murder - the jury has now been discharged
With the greatest of possible reluctance, I will have to discharge this jury.
The judge said the move was undesirable and the girl would have to stand trial again in the new year, with new trial now set for January 27.
One member of the jury was asked to stay behind and the public to leave the court.
The trial had been in its final stages, with the jury sent out to consider verdicts on Tuesday.
The teenager, who was 13 at the time of the incident, attacked teachers Fiona Elias and Liz Hopkin during the schools morning break.
She then moved on to stab another girl before being restrained by staff.
All three victims survived the attack but Ms Hopkin, who was stabbed in the neck, had to be flown to Cardiff by air ambulance.
The defendant had appeared in the witness box on Monday wearing a white shirt and a black tie, on the fifth day of the trial.
The accused girl pleaded guilty to three counts of wounding with intent and a further count of possession of a bladed article on a school premises, while denying three counts of attempted murder.
The incident happened in the Amman Valley School, in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire
Answering questions put to her by Caroline Rees KC, for the defence, the girl, who was 13 at the time, said she felt terrible about what had happened and that she would do anything to go back.
She said: It doesnt feel like I did it, to be honest. I feel terrible, guilty.
The girl told the court she did not intend to hurt or kill any of the people who were injured, and claimed she could not remember large parts of the attack.
Asked to describe what she remembered, she said: I remember thinking to myself "What am I doing? What am I doing? Stop". But I dont remember seeing anything.
You cant (look back), its dark, to say the least, I remember being very hot during the incident.
She admitted she had taken a knife to school almost every day since she was in year 3 or 4, saying she felt scared and worried and used knives to self-harm.
Earlier in the trial, the girls father told the court she had been subjected to bullying at school, and alleged someone had attempted to break into their house.
A fellow pupil also alleged he had seen the pupil she went on to stab repeatedly slap the defendant on the back of the head while on the school bus a few weeks before the incident.
The jury heard the girl had previously been caught with a knife by Ms Elias earlier in the school year, resulting in a week-long suspension.
A 14-year-old girl who stabbed two teachers and a pupil at a school in Wales has said she would give anything to go back. Liz Hopkin (pictured on the right) was one of those stabbed
The teenager was arrested after the three people were stabbed in the playground during the morning break at the comprehensive school on April 24
Despite her father checking her bag daily, she admitted hiding the knife in her pocket on the day of the attack.
The girl said she had forgotten she had it in her possession, having used it to carve her name into a tree.
Her father previously admitted he had not searched her bag on the day of the attack.
The girl denied saying before the incident that she wanted to kill Ms Elias, but accepted she had previously said she wanted to punch or slap her.
Earlier, the court heard from a witness that the defendant told the teacher Im going to f****** kill you before launching her attack.
She insisted she did not remember saying those words.
She also insisted she did not want to kill her classmate and that she could not remember striking her.
Asked about the moment she was restrained after stabbing the other pupil, she said: I remember her saying "Youre a f****** psychopath" and I remember saying "Its your fault".
Asked by Williams Hughes KC, for the prosecution, if she wanted to kill her classmate or her teachers, she said No.
Fiona Elias, (pictured) a teacher, was treated in hospital after being stabbed at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, on April 24
Mr Hughes asked her about pictures and phrases in a notebook the police found in her home.
He asked what she meant when she wrote: I want to do something humans arent supposed to do.
She replied: Initially, I was planning on killing myself.
He also asked her what she meant by I feel like Im gong to commit a crime of a lifetime.
She explained that she was religious, and killing herself would be a crime.
She also insisted that phrases around a picture, possibly of the girl she went on to stab, including burning and drowning, were an expression of how I felt at the time.
Mr Hughes asked the girl a series of questions about how many times she stabbed Ms Elias, and when she took the blade out of the multitool, with her responding she did not remember.
When asked if she had told the other pupil she was going to f****** kill you she said she did not but remembered saying youre next.
An aerial view of the scene following the Ysgol Dyffryn Aman (Aman valley School) stabbing in April
The prosecution also queried her comments to the police in which she said thats one way to be a celebrity.
He said: You seemed to be quite down looking but then you seem to smile at the idea of being a celebrity. Is that something that made you happy?
She insisted it was not and that she was trying to bring up the mood in an attempt at a joke.
When asked by the judge if she understood the potential fatal consequences of stabbing someone in the neck, she confirmed that she did.
