A 16-year-old schoolboy who stabbed his teacher in the head after asking her to check his homework has been detained for four and a half years.
The teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday after being convicted of wounding with intent.
He was cleared of attempted murder following a trial, but had previously admitted possessing a kitchen knife on school premises.
The attack took place at Milford Haven Comprehensive School in Pembrokeshire on 5 February, when the boy was 15. He had approached history teacher Vicki Williams and asked her to look at his schoolwork before following her into an empty classroom.
Prosecutors said he shut the door, took a large kitchen knife from his bag and lunged at Mrs Williams, striking her in the head. A struggle followed, during which the teacher managed to disarm him.
Mrs Williams was treated in hospital for a scalp wound, scratches to her back and cuts to her hands. She told the court that she feared she was dying and believed the attack would continue unless she could take control of the weapon.
The teenager maintained that the injuries happened accidentally during a struggle after the teacher tried to take the knife from him. His barrister had also suggested that he brought the blade to school to show off to other boys.
A jury returned an 11-to-one majority verdict convicting him of wounding with intent after more than four hours of deliberation. He was also arrested shortly after the attack after leaving the school and going to his grandmother’s home.
Dyfed-Powys Police said the incident had a profound effect on pupils, teachers and the wider Milford Haven community. Detective Inspector Sarah Totterdale praised Mrs Williams’s bravery in giving evidence and said she hoped the conclusion of the case would allow her to begin to recover from the ordeal.
