Crime

Jury hears final arguments in Milford Haven teacher stabbing trial

Published

7 minutes ago

July 17, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Defence says there was no motive or intention to kill as judge reviews competing accounts of classroom knife incident

LIVE FROM SWANSEA CROWN COURT

A JURY has heard the final arguments in the trial of a teenage pupil accused of attempting to murder a teacher during a knife incident at Milford Haven School.

The 16-year-old defendant, who was 15 at the time and cannot be identified for legal reasons, denies attempting to murder Vicki Williams on February 5.

He also denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent and unlawful wounding. He has admitted possessing a knife on school premises.

During closing speeches at Swansea Crown Court, the prosecution alleged the teenager deliberately selected a large kitchen knife, concealed it in his school bag and waited until Mrs Williams was alone before attacking her.

The defence said the teacher’s injuries were caused accidentally during a struggle after she saw the knife and attempted to confiscate it.

Mrs Williams sustained a one-centimetre wound to her scalp and cuts to her hands, which forensic pathologist Dr David Rouse said were characteristic of defensive injuries.

Prosecution alleges planned attack

Christopher Rees KC, prosecuting, told jurors the central question was whether they accepted the account given by Mrs Williams or that of the defendant.

He said emotion and sympathy should play no part in their decision and that the case had to be determined on the evidence.

“This was no accident,” Mr Rees said.

The prosecutor alleged the defendant brought the largest knife he could find into school and kept it hidden throughout the day.

The teenager has told the court he wanted to show the knife to his friends, but Mr Rees questioned why he had not shown it to anyone.

“The only person who saw the knife that day was his victim, Vicki Williams,” he said.

Mr Rees argued that the weapon had been concealed because the defendant did not want anyone to intervene or alert a teacher.

The prosecution alleged the teenager waited until the end of the school day, followed Mrs Williams into her classroom and closed the door so the incident could not be seen or heard.

Mr Rees said the defendant then moved behind the teacher and deliberately struck her in the head.

He described the teenager’s account as “a lie from start to finish” and said Mrs Williams had been his intended target.

Jurors were also reminded of CCTV footage showing the defendant approaching the classroom, walking away and returning later.

The prosecution said this showed he had waited until Mrs Williams was alone.

Mr Rees referred to an incident two days earlier in which one of the defendant’s friends kicked Mrs Williams’ classroom door while pupils were seen running away and laughing.

He said it was “no coincidence” that the teacher was injured two days later.

The prosecution acknowledged that there was no clear explanation for why the alleged attack happened but said it was not required to prove a motive.

Mr Rees reminded jurors that Mrs Williams said the defendant had a look of “pure hatred” on his face and that she believed she was going to die.

“She fought for her life,” he said.

The prosecutor argued that the defendant intended to kill Mrs Williams when the knife struck her head and urged the jury to convict him of attempted murder.

Defence says no motive established

Matthew Roberts KC, defending, said the prosecution had failed to prove that the incident was deliberate or that the teenager intended to kill.

“There’s a range of uncertainty and anything less than sure is a not guilty verdict,” he told jurors.

Mr Roberts said the defendant was considerably larger and stronger than Mrs Williams and argued that he could have killed her if that had genuinely been his intention.

He described the location and nature of the head injury as “curious” and said the wounds could equally, if not more convincingly, be explained by the defence account.

Jurors were reminded that Mrs Williams told one police officer shortly after the incident that she was unsure whether she had been struck with the handle because she had initially seen no blood on the blade.

She told other officers she had been stabbed.

The defence said there had been a genuine reason for the teenager to approach Mrs Williams because he was in an examination year and wanted to ask about his work.

Mr Roberts argued that if the defendant had planned an attack, he would have concealed the knife somewhere more accessible, such as beneath his coat, rather than keeping it inside his school bag.

He also said police had found nothing on the defendant’s phone suggesting the incident had been planned in advance.

The defence placed considerable emphasis on the absence of any apparent motive.

The court has heard there was no previous history of conflict, hostility or ill feeling between Mrs Williams and the defendant.

“There is no motive in this case,” Mr Roberts said.

“If you plan something, you usually have a reason for doing it.”

He argued that the incident had not involved a sustained attack and said jurors must decide whether Mrs Williams’ injuries were caused deliberately or accidentally during the struggle.

Mr Roberts also reminded the jury that the knife made contact with the skull, one of the hardest parts of the human body, despite there being other more vulnerable areas that could have been targeted.

The teenager’s grandmother previously told the court that he arrived at her home after the incident and said “something went in my head”.

The prosecution said the remark was an attempt to justify what had happened, while the defence argued it was inconsistent with planning or a settled intention to kill.

Mr Roberts acknowledged that taking a knife into school was “highly unwise” and said the defendant’s behaviour during his final school year had not been good.

However, he argued that poor behaviour did not establish an intention to murder.

Jurors were also reminded that the teenager answered “no comment” during his police interviews.

The defence said he had acted on legal advice and that it was hardly surprising for a frightened 15-year-old to follow the instructions given by his solicitor.

Mr Roberts said the defendant had no history of violence and had remained calm despite being subjected to lengthy cross-examination.

Concluding his speech, he said jurors could not look inside the defendant’s mind and that there was insufficient evidence to prove an intention to kill.

“Assume nothing, evaluate everything,” he told them.

Judge reviews teacher’s evidence

Judge Paul Thomas KC then began summing up the evidence heard during the trial.

He reminded jurors that his role was to review the evidence and explain the law, but that they alone were responsible for deciding the facts.

Turning to Mrs Williams’ account, the judge said she told the court that the defendant entered her classroom carrying a worksheet and asked whether the work he had completed was correct.

Mrs Williams said this raised concerns because it was unusual for the pupil to approach her in that way.

The teenager closed the classroom door, telling her he felt cold, and continued pointing to different parts of the worksheet.

Mrs Williams said he began moving around her desk and that his behaviour made her increasingly uneasy.

She told the jury that the teenager continued looking through his bag despite being reassured that his work was correct.

Mrs Williams said she asked him four or five times whether he was all right.

She became particularly uncomfortable when he closed the door because teachers were not supposed to remain alone in classrooms with pupils.

According to her evidence, the teenager then produced the knife and lunged towards her without saying anything.

Mrs Williams described his mouth as being in a straight line and said his eyes appeared full of hatred.

She told the court that her immediate thought was that she was going to die.

The teacher said she grabbed the knife and attempted to prevent the defendant from moving it towards her again.

She fell against a chair and raised her feet in an attempt to kick him away.

Mrs Williams described herself as “screaming blue murder” as she struggled to gain control of the weapon.

After taking possession of the knife, she went into a neighbouring classroom and asked a colleague whether she was bleeding.

Witnesses described her as looking extremely distressed, with the colour drained from her face.

She repeatedly asked whether her head was all right and whether she was going to die.

Mrs Williams told the court she believed the defendant had been trying to kill her, although she said there had never previously been any serious disagreement between them and she did not understand why the incident had happened.

The judge reminded jurors that the wound to her scalp was described as superficial, although evidence had also been heard about the pressure she felt when the knife made contact with her head.

Defendant’s account reviewed

Turning to the defendant’s evidence, Judge Thomas reminded jurors that the teenager said he entered the classroom to ask Mrs Williams for help with his work.

He said he was looking through his bag for a rubber when the teacher saw the knife and instructed him to hand it over.

The defendant said he refused because he feared getting into trouble.

According to his account, Mrs Williams then attempted to take the knife from him with both hands and the weapon “went everywhere” during the struggle.

He said he did not realise the knife had made contact with the teacher’s head.

The defendant told the court that Mrs Williams’ screaming became too much for him, causing him to drop everything and leave the classroom.

He denies deliberately stabbing her or intending to cause any injury.

The jury was told that the tip of the knife was damaged, but Judge Thomas said there was no evidence establishing how or when that damage occurred.

He warned jurors not to speculate about its condition.

Judge Thomas reminded the jury that he was summarising the competing evidence and was not expressing a view about which account should be accepted.

Jurors must decide whether Mrs Williams’ injury was caused deliberately and, if it was, whether the defendant intended to kill her or cause serious harm.

The jury is expected to begin considering its verdicts after the judge completes his summing-up.

The trial continues.

Crime

Man discharged from hospital as attempted murder investigation continues

Published

22 minutes ago

July 17, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Four people were arrested after the seriously injured man arrived at hospital during the early hours of Wednesday

A MAN who suffered serious injuries in a suspected assault in Carmarthen has now been discharged from hospital, police have confirmed.

Dyfed-Powys Police launched an attempted murder investigation after hospital staff contacted officers when the injured man arrived for treatment during the early hours of Wednesday (July 15).

Initial police enquiries indicated that the man may have been assaulted at a property in the Brynmeurig area of the town.

Officers attended the address and established a cordon while detectives investigated how the man had sustained his injuries.

Four people were subsequently arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

In an update issued on Friday (July 17), police confirmed that the injured man had been released from hospital.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident remains ongoing.

Crime

Woman sentenced after cannabis grow discovered in Carmarthenshire shed

Published

3 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Court Reporter

Police found 14 plants, harvested cannabis worth thousands of pounds and evidence of small-scale dealing

A CARMARTHENSHIRE woman has received a suspended prison sentence after allowing a professionally equipped cannabis grow to operate from a shed at her home.

Police attended Lucy Pugh’s property in Llanfihangel-ar-Arth on February 28 last year, where they discovered 14 cannabis plants growing inside the outbuilding.

Swansea Crown Court heard that the shed contained specialist equipment consistent with a professional cultivation operation.

A police drugs expert estimated that each plant could have produced between one and three ounces of cannabis, giving the crop a potential maximum street value of more than £13,000.

Officers also discovered that the property’s electricity meter had been bypassed. National Grid engineers were called to make the electrical supply safe.

A further search of the house uncovered around 800 grams of cannabis in the kitchen which had already been harvested. Prosecutors said the drugs had an estimated value of £7,410.

Messages recovered from Pugh’s mobile phone showed that she had been supplying cannabis to a small number of people.

During her police interview, Pugh said two men from Bristol had installed the growing operation in her shed several months earlier. She admitted knowing the plants were there and said she had not objected to the arrangement.

Her phone also contained messages in which she asked one of the men for advice about caring for the plants.

Pugh, aged 50, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis and possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

The court was told she had one previous conviction, dating from 2020, for possession of a Class A drug and drug-driving.

Defending, Craig Jones said Pugh had entered guilty pleas at the earliest opportunity and had cooperated fully with the police.

He stressed that the cultivation operation had not originally been organised by Pugh and said she had only a limited criminal record.

Sentencing her, Judge Catherine Richards said Pugh had permitted the cannabis operation to be established at her property before making the separate decision to supply the drug.

Pugh was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 12 months.

She was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Prosecutors confirmed that proceedings would be brought under the Proceeds of Crime Act in an attempt to recover any money Pugh had made through her offending.

She is due to return to Swansea Crown Court on November 12 for a proceeds of crime hearing.

Crime

Milford Haven teacher ‘fought for her life’ during alleged knife attack

Published

3 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Crown says teenage pupil planned classroom assault and intended to kill, as attempted murder trial reaches closing speeches

LIVE FROM SWANSEA CROWN COURT

A TEACHER accused of being stabbed by a pupil survived only because she fought for her life, a jury has been told during the prosecution’s closing speech.

Christopher Rees KC said the teenage defendant deliberately selected the largest knife he could find, concealed it in his school bag and waited until history teacher Vicki Williams was alone before attacking her.

The 16-year-old, who was 15 at the time and cannot be named for legal reasons, denies attempting to murder Ms Williams at Milford Haven School on Thursday, February 5.

He also denies inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and unlawful wounding. He has admitted possessing a knife on school premises.

Proceedings at Swansea Crown Court began on Friday (Jul 17) with Judge Paul Thomas KC giving the jury legal directions.

The judge told jurors they were the sole judges of the facts and must decide the case using the evidence, their collective experience and common sense.

He reminded them that the prosecution carried the burden of proving its case and that the defence did not have to prove anything.

Jurors were instructed to decide the case with their “heads, not their hearts” and to put sympathy and emotion aside.

Judge Thomas explained that if they were not sure the defendant deliberately stabbed Ms Williams, and believed the injuries were or might have been accidental, they must acquit him of all three charges.

However, if they were sure the stabbing was deliberate, they would then have to determine what the defendant intended.

An intention to kill would amount to attempted murder, while an intention to cause really serious harm could lead to a conviction for grievous bodily harm with intent. If neither intention was proved, jurors would then consider unlawful wounding.

Opening the prosecution’s closing speech, Mr Rees told the jury the central question was whether they accepted the account given by Ms Williams or that of the defendant.

“You don’t try this case on sympathy, not for Vicki or the defendant,” he said.

“You try the case on the evidence.”

Mr Rees said the prosecution’s case was that the incident was a calculated and planned attack rather than an accident during a struggle over the knife.

“This was no accident,” he said.

The prosecutor said the teenager had taken the largest knife from the kitchen at home and carried it secretly in his school bag throughout the day.

The defendant has told the jury that he brought the knife to school to show off to his friends but did not intend to use it violently.

Mr Rees said that explanation was “a lie from start to finish”, pointing out that the teenager had not shown the knife or mentioned it to any of his friends.

He said the weapon had been kept hidden because the defendant did not want anyone to intervene or alert a teacher.

The prosecution alleged that the teenager waited until the end of the school day, followed Ms Williams into her classroom and closed the door when she was alone and vulnerable.

Mr Rees said the defendant then moved behind the teacher and deliberately struck her in the back of the head with the knife.

The jury was shown CCTV footage of the defendant approaching the classroom before initially walking away.

Mr Rees claimed he had abandoned his first approach because Ms Williams was not alone and returned minutes later when he could carry out his alleged plan without being seen.

The prosecutor said the defendant had used external doors to approach the classroom because they provided a clear view inside.

He also reminded jurors of an incident two days earlier, on February 3, when one of the defendant’s friends kicked a door to Ms Williams’ classroom.

The defendant and other pupils were captured on CCTV running away and laughing following that incident.

Mr Rees said it was “no coincidence” that Ms Williams was allegedly attacked two days later.

The court was also reminded that the defendant had refused to attend a lesson on February 4, leading to his mother becoming angry with him.

“When he left the house on February 5 with that knife in his bag, he crossed the Rubicon and there was no going back,” Mr Rees said.

The prosecutor acknowledged that the Crown could not explain the defendant’s precise motive.

He suggested it could have involved a grudge or a desire for notoriety but stressed that the prosecution was not required to prove why the alleged attack happened.

Mr Rees described Ms Williams as a lone female teacher and “a vulnerable target”, telling the jury the prosecution considered it to have been a cowardly attack.

He reminded jurors of Ms Williams’ evidence that the defendant had a look of “pure hatred” on his face.

The teacher previously told the court she grabbed the blade of the knife during the struggle.

Mr Rees said a person’s natural instinct would be to avoid grabbing a blade and argued that she had done so only because she believed her life was in danger.

“She fought for her life,” he said.

The jury was reminded of medical evidence concerning the wound to the back of Ms Williams’ head.

Mr Rees said the back of the skull was particularly thick and argued that this was why the injury was not as serious as the defendant had allegedly intended.

He described the teenager’s account that the head wound occurred accidentally during a “melee” over the knife as “absurd” and “impossible”.

The prosecutor said damage to the tip of the knife was also inconsistent with accidental contact.

Mr Rees reminded jurors that the defendant fled the school following the incident and went to his grandmother’s home, where she said he told her that “something went in my head”.

The defendant has claimed he cannot remember saying those words and has maintained that he had no clear recollection of the incident for several weeks.

Mr Rees said the teenager’s grandmother had no reason to lie and argued that the comment showed he knew he had done “something terrible”.

He also referred to the defendant answering “no comment” during his police interview.

The teenager said he had done so because he could not remember what had happened, but Mr Rees argued that he had not yet devised the account he would later give.

The prosecutor contrasted the defendant’s evidence with what he described as the consistent accounts given by Ms Williams to colleagues, paramedics and police immediately after the incident.

He said none of those accounts suggested there had been an accident while she was attempting to confiscate the knife.

Mr Rees concluded that Ms Williams had been deliberately targeted and that the defendant intended to kill her when he struck the blow to her head.

He told jurors the reason she was able to give evidence was because the knife struck the thickest part of her skull and because she fought back.

The defence says the teenager brought the knife into school to show off and that Ms Williams was accidentally injured after trying to take it from him.

The defence closing speech and the judge’s summing up are expected to follow before the jury begins its deliberations.

The trial continues.