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A 16-year-old student was acquitted of attempted murder charges after stabbing his history teacher in the head with a kitchen knife at Milford Haven Comprehensive School in Pembrokeshire. The incident occurred on February 5, when the boy approached Vicki Williams in her empty classroom seeking assistance with his history assignment. Following this, he drew a knife from his bag and attacked her. Williams recounted to the jury at Swansea Crown Court that she feared for her life during the assault.
The court ultimately found the teenager not guilty of attempted murder but convicted him of wounding with intent and unlawful wounding. Sentencing is scheduled for September 3. Prior to this, he had admitted to carrying a kitchen knife on school property. Judge Paul Thomas KC accepted a majority verdict for the wounding with intent charge after the jury had deliberated for four hours, resulting in at least 10 jurors agreeing on the verdict.
During the attack, Williams managed to grab the knife, used her legs to push the boy away, and screamed. She sustained injuries to her head, back, and hands. Describing the assailant’s expression, she stated that the teenager’s face showed “pure hatred.” In her police interview, Williams described how the boy, who was 15 at the time and whose identity is protected due to his age, had come into her classroom calmly at the end of the school day to ask if his work was correct. This behavior seemed unusual to her, as he “had never seemed bothered before.” The situation became troubling when the boy shut the classroom door, claiming it was cold, which made her feel uneasy.
Williams explained that the student appeared to be trying to keep her engaged in conversation while simultaneously searching his bag. She recalled asking him again if he was “sure you’re alright?” moments before he pulled out the knife and lunged at her. The boy told the court that Williams noticed the knife and attempted to seize it from him, which led to what he described as an accidental assault during the struggle. Williams said she believed she was dying at that moment, thinking, “I’m fearful that I am dying, I’ve seen the knife, I know I’ve been stabbed, all I’m thinking at that point is, ‘I need help.’” She described the attack as having “come out of nowhere.”
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