Ammanford school stabbing trial collapses as ‘compromised’ jury discharged

A jury that has been hearing the trial of a girl accused of stabbing two teachers and a fellow pupil at a school in south Wales has been discharged because of “a great irregularity”.

The girl, who was 13 at the time, had accepted that she took a bladed fishing multi-tool into her school and stabbed the two adults and the pupil but denied attempting to kill them.

Judge Paul Thomas KC discharged the jury on Wednesday, the day after it was sent out to consider its verdicts.

The judge said: “There has been a great irregularity in the jury, which we all agree has irretrievably compromised our ability to consider this matter. With the greatest of possible reluctance, I will have to discharge this jury.”

The judge said the move was undesirable and the girl, who is now 14, would stand trial again next year. A new trial has been set for 27 January 2025.

Swansea crown court heard the attacks took place during morning break-time at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, in April when one of the adults, assistant headteacher, Fiona Elias, told the girl she was not allowed in a hall, where she wanted to chat to friends.

The prosecution claimed the girl told Elias: “I’m going to kill you. I’m going to fucking kill you,” and started to stab her. A second teacher, Liz Hopkin, tried to help her colleague and was stabbed in the neck and was taken to hospital by air ambulance.

Both teachers told the police they thought they were going to be killed.

The teenager then allegedly let out a scream, described in court as “like something out of a horror movie”, and told a fellow pupil: “I’m going to fucking kill you, you bitch,” before stabbing her.

In the witness box, the girl told the court she was considered a “troubled” child and said the memory of the assaults was a blur, but insisted repeatedly she did not intend to kill the three victims. She admitted wounding but denied attempting to kill the three.

Asked what the memory of the attacks felt like now, she said: “It doesn’t feel like I did it.” She felt “terrible, guilty”, adding: “I would do anything to go back.”