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Pupil who stabbed teacher in the head in Pembrokeshire, Wales, sentenced
The court found significant planning and said the teacher could have suffered fatal injuries after the pupil brought a knife to school.
On Thursday, Judge Paul Thomas sentenced a 16-year-old to four and a half years in youth detention for stabbing teacher Vicki Williams with an 8-inch kitchen knife at Milford Haven Comprehensive School in February.
Judge Thomas found the defendant exhibited a "significant degree of planning" and bore "considerable ill-will" toward Williams, using a schoolwork request as a pretext to isolate her in an empty classroom.
After deliberating by a majority of "11 to one," the Swansea Crown Court jury convicted the teenager of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, rejecting an attempted murder charge.
In a victim impact statement, Williams revealed she suffers from PTSD and will not return to teaching, stating, "I don't feel I could be the teacher I was."
Defense lawyer Matthew Roberts noted the teenager has made "excellent progress" in detention and remains eligible for release after serving half the sentence, pending potential early release scheme changes.