Boy, 16, sentenced for stabbing teacher in head after asking about homework

The school sign for Milford Haven Comprehensive School in Pembrokeshire

A 16-year-old boy who stabbed a teacher in the head at his school after asking her to check his homework has been sentenced to four and a half years in youth detention.

The boy, who was 15 at the time, stabbed his teacher, Vicky Williams, in the head at Milford Haven Comprehensive School in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

The defendant was found guilty of wounding with intent after being acquitted by a jury of attempted murder.

Passing sentence, Judge Paul Thomas KC said it was ‘pure luck’ Mrs Williams had not been seriously injured or worse.

‘I don’t know why you attacked Mrs Williams with that knife, you never told anybody why you did it,’ the judge said.

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‘I think it may have been that in some way she had upset you, but I don’t know for certain why.

Pictured here is Vicki Williams A schoolboy who stabbed a teacher in the head was today cleared of trying to murder her - but is facing custody for the shocking knife attack. Teacher Vicki Williams feared she was going to die after the boy, 15, stabbed her in an empty classroom. Mrs Williams saw "pure hatred" in the boy's eyes after he thrust the knife towards her and pushed her into a chair before fleeing. Children were placed into lockdown following the attack at Milford Haven Comprehensive School in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. Mrs Williams told the court the boy had a look of "pure hatred" as he attacked her and she feared she was "going to die." She said his behaviour was "strange and concerning" as he allegedly rummaged in his bag while trying to get behind her before withdrawing the knife and lunging at her. Mrs Williams said: "I knew I had been stabbed to the head. I am fearful of dying. I have seen the size of the knife. All I am thinking about is: 'I need help. "I was in shock. My first thought is: 'I am dying.'" She added: "Those eyes are not something I am going to forget quickly. The look was pure hatred." She said she believed the defendant was trying to keep her talking while rummaging in his bag for the knife. The court heard the teacher and pupil had known each other for years with no issues before he attacked her when she was "alone and vulnerable". Prosecutor Christopher Rees KC said: "The boy planned and launched a murderous attack on the teacher, and had brought a knife into school in order to execute that plan. "He deliberately stabbed Vicki Williams in the head." Mr Rees said Mrs Williams bravely fought her alleged attacker off and tried to grab the knife before he pushed her onto a chair. Swansea Crown Court heard the pair struggled and when the teacher shouted for help, the defendant ran off. The boy, now 16, claimed Mrs Williams was injured accidentally when she tried to take the knife from him after seeing it in his bag. He told the jury he was looking for a rubber in his bag when Mrs Williams spotted the knife and ordered him to hand it over. Swansea Crown Court heard a struggle then broke out in the classroom at 1045-student secondary school in February. He told the jury: "I didn't want to get into trouble by having a knife in school, so that's why I didn't give it to her." He said the knife was "going everywhere" and they struggled for about 10 seconds before Mrs Williams began to scream. He denied lunging towards the teacher and said he let go of the knife and fled. The boy told the court he and his friends would dare each other to take "random household objects" into school to see what they could "get away with" as a game of dare. He said he chose the largest knife from his kitchen block as he wanted "the most impressive one to show his friends". The boy, now 16, was cleared of attempted murder.but found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. The teenager had previously admitted possessing a knife on school premises. He will be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday, September 3. WALES NEWS SERVICE

‘What I do know for certain is that you took a knife that day to school because you wanted to really hurt her with it.

‘You knew what you were going to do was very wrong, but you had planned it in advance.

‘You knew she would not be any physical match for you and when you stabbed her in the top of her head with the knife, you knew that at the very least that might cause her a great deal of harm.

‘It was pure luck that she did not have far worse injuries, maybe even fatal injuries.

‘You could have killed her, although the jury found that you didn’t mean to go that far.’

Prosecutors described the incident on February 5 as a ‘murderous attack’ during a hearing at Swansea Crown Court on July 7.

Christopher Rees KC told the court previously: ‘The prosecution say the defendant planned and launched a murderous attack.

‘He deliberately stabbed Vicki Williams in the head.’

A police van at Milford Haven Comprehensive School after the alleged incident in the classroom.

The school said in a statement at the time: ‘Following the very distressing incident that took place in school last week, we want to take a moment to acknowledge how unsettling this has been for our whole community. Our priority now is to support pupils, staff and families as we move forward together.

‘We want to reassure you that Milford Haven School remains a safe and caring environment.

‘We are incredibly proud of how bravely, calmly and maturely pupils and staff responded and we will continue to work closely with the police, the local authority and our wider community to ensure everyone feels supported.’

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