A teenage girl who stabbed two teachers and a pupil during an attack at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman earlier this year told a court she thought “what am I doing, stop” as the assault unfolded. The incident, which took place in April, resulted in the school being placed under lockdown.
Swansea Crown Court heard that teachers Fiona Elias, Elizabeth Hopkin, and a female pupil were hospitalised after suffering stab wounds during the attack. The defendant, who was 13 at the time and is now 14, cannot be named for legal reasons. She has denied three counts of attempted murder, although she has previously pleaded guilty to three counts of wounding with intent and one charge of possessing a bladed article on school premises.
Taking the witness stand, the defendant, dressed in a black jumpsuit and tie, expressed remorse, saying, “I wish I could take back what I did.” She added, “It doesn’t feel like I did it, to be honest. I feel terrible, guilty.”
The girl told the court she did not intend to kill any of the victims and claimed she could not recall large portions of the incident. When asked to describe what she could remember, she said: “You can’t, it’s dark, to say the least. I remember being very hot during the incident.”
The court heard that, prior to the stabbing, the defendant had joked with friends about “slapping or punching” Ms Elias but had no real intention of harming her. When asked what she planned to do as she approached Ms Elias, the defendant said she only intended to “hit Ms Elias with her hands.” However, when questioned as to why she used a knife, she responded, “I’m unaware, I don’t remember, I’m afraid.”
She was adamant that she had not intended to kill anyone, replying “no” when asked directly if she had planned to murder any of the victims.
The court was also told that the defendant had been carrying knives since primary school. She revealed that she had taken a knife to school “every day” since she was in Year 3 or 4, citing feelings of fear and anxiety. She also admitted using knives to self-harm.
Earlier in the trial, it was revealed that the defendant had been found with a kitchen knife in her bag at the start of the school year in September 2023 by Ms Elias. The girl explained that she had forgotten it was in her possession after using it to carve her name into a tree. As a result, she was suspended from the school for a week but was allowed to return under the condition that her father checked her school belongings every morning and removed any dangerous items from the home.
However, on the morning of the attack on 24th April, the defendant’s father failed to carry out the check, and the girl took his multi-tool knife, which he used for fishing, to school. She admitted to hiding the knife in her pockets and under her bed to avoid detection.
Friends of the defendant testified that she had shown them the knife on the morning of the attack, telling them she was “going to do something stupid.”
The attack began after a dispute with Ms Elias, who had refused to let the girl into a school hall during break time. The defendant stabbed Ms Elias, causing wounds to her arms and hand. Ms Hopkin intervened in an attempt to disarm the girl but was stabbed in the neck. The defendant then ran and stabbed a fellow pupil in the shoulder, shouting “you’re next” during the assault, the jury heard.
CCTV footage played in court showed the then 13-year-old stabbing the floor of the school hall with the multi-tool knife before attacking Ms Elias. In their testimony, both teachers told the court they feared for their lives during the attack.
The court also heard that the defendant had transferred to Ysgol Dyffryn Aman after being bullied at a previous school. Her father told the court she had been subjected to verbal and physical abuse, with eggs being thrown at their family home.
The trial, now in its fifth day, continues.
