A SCHOOL girl has been jailed  for attempting to murder two teachers and a pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, Ammanford.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced on Monday (April 28) by Judge Paul Thomas sitting at  Swansea Crown Court. 

“What you did in school almost a year ago to the day, has caused a large number of people a great deal of harm and upset,” said Judge Thomas.

“It’s enormously affected many lives including your own.

“The simple fact is, you tried to kill three people.  You came to school that day planning to do that, as far as Mrs Elias was concerned.  You hated her.

“What you did, you did in full view of so many other pupils, at a time when there were a lot of people about.  And that wasn’t a coincidence

“You wanted as many of your fellow pupils as possible to see what you intended to do.  You picked the time and the place to attack her.

“I’ve watched you carefully as you’ve sat in court, and I’ve formed opinions.  I believe that what you did was, above all, for attention which perhaps you haven’t had from others in the past.  And I think you actually enjoyed the reaction and the publicity.”

Judge Thomas said that after being placed in a police van outside the school gates following her arrest, the defendant said  that this was ‘one way to become famous’.

“This was what you really thought and continue to think,” continued Judge Thomas.

“I don’t think you’re genuinely sorry for what you did and I don’t think you really care much about what others have suffered by what you did to them.

“I know your life hasn’t been a straightforward one by any means, and that you have a very complex personality.  But many children are in similar positions and they don’t behave how you did that day.  They don’t try to kill two teachers and a classmate.”

Judge Thomas said the defendant remains a potential risk to others at the secure unit where she has been detained since the offence, having made a serious threat to another.

Emergency services were called to the school on Wednesday, April 24, 2024,  following reports that three people had been injured. Two teachers – Fiona Elias and Liz Hopkin – along with a child, were admitted to hospital for treatment after being stabbed by the child.

Earlier that morning, CCTV cameras captured the girl, who was aged 13 at the time,  stabbing the hall floor with a knife. She was then seen speaking to Mrs Elias on two occasions – inside and outside the school building – before attacking her with a knife. When Mrs Hopkin stepped in to help, she was also injured.

A few minutes later, after being taken away from the two teachers, the girl was seen attacking a child with the same knife.

In her final summing up,  barrister Caroline Rees KC, described the defendant  as ‘a very complex young girl’.

“Her behaviour falls far beyond the ordinary,” she told the court.  “We are dealing with a very complicated girl.”

Caroline Rees said that a psychological report described the defendant’s childhood as being ‘considerably adverse’ and that throughout the court hearing, the child had sat in the dock with her head bowed, as she continued to draw.

“There’s clearly a lot of work to be done here, but the more time she spent with her psychologist, the more she appeared to engage,” said Caroline Rees.  “She is so young, but there is a real possibility for change.  And for the first time, she will have the means of doing that.”

The defendant was sentenced to 15 years in detention, half of which will be served in custody, the remaining on licence upon her release.

”This means that the rest of your childhood and early adulthood will be spent in custody,” concluded Judge Thomas.

Following today’s sentencing, Detective Chief Superintendent Ross Evans of Dyfed-Powys Police said: “While this sentence marks the end of the criminal justice proceedings, and a year since the incident occurred, I understand that for the victims the impact remains ongoing.

“All three suffered physical harm at the hands of the defendant and although wounds can heal with time, it will take considerably longer to recover from the mental trauma her actions caused.

“We have heard from the victim impact statements that they relive the events on April 24, 2024 daily, which evidences the profound impact it had on their wellbeing. As we now leave the legal proceedings behind us, I wish all the victims well in their recovery.

“For the students who unfortunately witnessed such an act of violence as they went about their day, I sincerely hope they are still able to view their school as a place of safety, and that today’s sentence shows that any attempt to compromise school safety will not be tolerated.

“Finally, I would like to thank all our emergency services colleagues who responded on the day, along with the teachers and staff at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman. Thanks also to Carmarthenshire County Council for the professional way in which they dealt with the incident and to the local community for the support they offered to pupils.”