Girl said ‘that’s one way to be a celebrity’ after school attack, jury hears

A 14-year-old girl told police “that’s one way to be a celebrity” after she stabbed two teachers and another teenager at a school in Wales.

Swansea Crown Court was played CCTV footage of the girl attacking the two teachers at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, also known as Amman Valley School, in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, and then moving on to stab another girl before she was disarmed by staff.

Opening the girl’s trial on Monday, William Hughes KC, prosecuting, said that she told police officers after she was arrested: “I’m pretty sure this is going to be on the news.

“So more eyes will be looking at me.

“That’s one way to be a celebrity.”

But she also asked “are they dead” and added: “How am I going to face my family after what I’ve done?”

The court heard that the girl described the attack on the teenager to the officers, saying: “I stabbed her, oopsies”.

Mr Hughes said the girl confronted assistant head Fiona Elias in the school yard telling her: “I’m going to kill you, I’m going to f****** kill you”, before launching her attack with a multi-tool that her father used for fishing.

The video showed how Mrs Elias was with fellow teacher Liz Hopkin, who immediately intervened.

Mr Hughes said Ms Hopkin ended up with the more serious injuries, to her back, neck, legs and arms, and had to be airlifted for treatment.

He said the teachers later said the girl had “lost it”.

The footage played in court showed how a number of teachers arrived quickly and talked to the girl, trying to calm her down in “a kind of stand off”, with the staff later saying she had a “vacant look on her face”.

But the girl pushed past the male members of staff, ran around a corner and attacked another teenager.

The prosecutor said the defendant also said to this girl: “I’m going to f****** kill you”.

Mr Hughes said police found a notebook at the girl’s home with a drawing of a female and reference to the teenager she attacked at the school.

One comment said that girl will “burn” and another said “cut their mouths and eyes”.

They also found found a drawing labelled “Mrs Frogface Elias”

The jury has been told that the defendant has admitted attacking all three people at the school.

She has pleaded guilty to three counts of wounding with intent and one of possessing a bladed article article on school premises.

The girl denies three counts of attempted murder in relation to the incident on April 24, when she was 13.

Mr Hughes told the jury: “(The girl) does not dispute that she caused these injuries.

“She does dispute that she caused these injuries intending to kill one, two or all three of them.”

He said: “(The girl) clearly thought ill of Mrs Elias and (the teenager who was injured) given the content of the drawings and the associated words.”

The prosecutor said Ms Hopkin was the worst injured and had to be flown to Cardiff where she was treated for stab wounds to her knee, lower leg, chest and under her shoulder blade.

But the worst wound was to the top of her neck.

Mrs Elias and the teenager were taken to hospital in Swansea, where they were also treated for stab wounds.

The trial was adjourned and will resume on Wednesday.