A 14-year-old girl who stabbed three individuals at a school informed police officers that it was “one way to be a celebrity,” according to a courtroom report.
A pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, as well as teachers Liz Hopkin and Fiona Elias, were transported to the hospital with stab wounds on 24 April.
The jury at Swansea Crown Court viewed bodycam footage of a police officer who arrested the girl and sat with her in a vehicle on the fourth day of the trial. There, the girl referred to the pupil she had wounded, stating, “I stabbed her. I apologise.”
Despite acknowledging the triple stabbing, the girl, who cannot be identified due to her age, denies attempted murder. During her arrest, the teenager stared at Officer Sophia Coschignano-Brown before being led to the police van. The footage also shows her asking the officer whether the two teachers and the pupil she had attacked were going to die.
“I’ve had loads of eyes on me today,” the girl remarked in the bodycam footage, as quoted by the BBC. She added, “Sooner or later, I’m 90% sure this is going to be on the news. That is one way to be a celebrity.”
Upon her arrival at the police station, the jury heard the girl inquiring of the officer how she would confront her family “after what I’ve done.”
The jurors reviewed the CCTV footage of the event once more, as prosecution lawyer William Hughes KC elaborated on the timeline.
The girl was observed sitting at a table with a group of students, displaying a knife to them. She confronted Ms Elias and Ms Hopkin outdoors and engaged them in conversation for approximately two minutes before assaulting Ms Elias with a knife.
Ms Elias was seen fleeing the scene as Ms Hopkin was subsequently stabbed numerous times, including once in the neck. CCTV footage revealed the girl running towards another student while shouting at her before she attacked her with a knife.
The jury also viewed a Snapchat video that captured the moment when teacher Darrel Campbell restrained the girl after she had stabbed the pupil. Witness statements were presented, including testimonies from the school’s headteacher, James Durbridge, and deputy headteacher, Ceri Myers.
Mr Durbridge recounted receiving a call from Ms Elias during the break, in which she informed him that she had been stabbed. In response, he initiated a “code red” lockdown. As he made his way to her, a teaching assistant informed him that Ms Hopkin had also been stabbed. Upon arriving at the scene, he observed the teenage girl being restrained by Mr Campbell.
“Her breathing was heavy,” Mr Durbridge said. “I said to her twice, ‘you’re safe but I need the knife.’” He explained that when he placed his hand on her wrist, she let go of the knife.
Mr Myers indicated that the girl was transported to his office after the event, and Mr Durbridge proceeded to check on Ms Hopkin, who was “bleeding profusely.”
When the police arrived, Mr Myers said they urged the girl to open her lips. She replied, “If I had something in my mouth, I would have used it to kill myself by now.” When asked if she had any thoughts of self-harm, she said, “No.”
The child was later arrested on accusations of attempted murder, and the jury observed that she appeared to be staring down at the ground during the proceedings.
Mr Hughes detailed other drawings discovered in the girl’s schoolbag and bedroom, which were shown to the jury. One picture was labelled “Mrs Frogface Elias,” and another depicted the pupil she had stabbed, using terms like “burning,” “drowning,” and “death.”
As these details were presented in court, the teenager lowered her head to the table while sitting alongside her defence team. The jury was shown images of the stab wounds and injuries sustained by both teachers and the student.
The jury also received a statement from William Pridmore-Bowen, the first paramedic on the scene. He confirmed that he first encountered Ms Hopkin, who had multiple stab wounds. She was later transferred to the air ambulance on a stretcher when it arrived. The paramedic then checked on Ms Elias and the pupil, both of whom “did not require urgent treatment,” but all three were taken to hospital for further care.
The trial continues.
