Staff bravery praised by judge as he jails teenager for school attack

A judge has praised the bravery of two school support workers who tackled a former student after he embarked on a “sustained attack” on staff and pupils with pieces of broken glass.

Louis Melotte, 17, was ordered to serve five years in youth detention with an extended five year licence period, due to his dangerousness, following his attack at Birley Academy, in Sheffield, which caused the school go into lockdown and triggered a huge police response.

Video footage of the incident, which was played again at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday, showed Melotte, of Jaunty Avenue, Sheffield, suddenly begin to hit a 12-year-old girl multiple times in the reception area and then turn on a receptionist and a youth worker who intervened.

After youth worker Molly Bulmer read an emotional impact statement to the court, in which she said she thought she was going to die as she tackled Melotte on May 1, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC said he would be recommending her and receptionist Alicia Richards for commendations for their bravery.

Speaking to Ms Bulmer directly, Judge Richardson said: “I think you should be terribly proud of yourself for what you did. You didn’t stand back, nor did your colleague. Not a bit of it. You went forward.

“You had no idea what he had in his hands.”

The judge said: “Without a thought for your own safety you went forward to protect school children.

“That’s a courageous thing to do, a really courageous thing to do, and you should be really proud of yourself, because you made a difference.

“Both you and your colleague are deserving of high praise for what you did.”

Ms Bulmer, who works with children at risk of exclusion, said she had struggled to go back to the school after the incident and felt this meant the pupils she worked with were victims too.

An impact statement from Ms Richards was also read to the court in which she said: “The horror of it is the thought of what could have been. I thought I was going to die.”

Ms Richards said the fact she did not receive, at the very least, life changing injures was “baffling to me”.

Earlier this year, a jury heard how Melotte shared a series of posts on social media on the day of the attack, including one which said: “Today is the day; a calling from the Lord Jesus Christ has been cast upon me.

“To do what God Almighty thinks is necessary.”

The court heard how he smashed a glass at home before calmly walking the 20 minutes to the school with the pieces hidden up his sleeve.

As he launched his attack, he was heard to say: “I’m going to kill everyone.”

Melotte, who sat in the dock wearing a bright blue jacket over a black shirt, was found guilty of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent earlier this year and had previously pleaded guilty to taking a bladed article into a school.

Judge Richardson lifted an order protecting Melotte’s identity at a previous hearing.

The judge accepted that the defendant was autistic and had mental health problems, including suffering from psychosis at the time of the incident.

He said this explained “up to a point” what happened, but the judge added: “You knew what you were doing, of that there is no doubt.”

Judge Richardson said he accepted Melotte had a troubled upbringing and said he was extremely worried by white supremacist material he had posted online.

The judge said: “Protection of the public must be my lodestar in this case.”

He said: “Schools and colleges are places of learning. They are also places where those attending, whether pupils or staff, must feel safe. They must be kept safe.”