Girl, 14, told teacher ‘I’m going to kill you’ before school attack, court hears

A young girl yelled “I’m going to kill you” during an assault on two teachers and a pupil at a school in South Wales, a court has heard.

The 14-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has admitted wounding with intent but denied attempted murder after stabbing three people at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman – also known as Amman Valley School – in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, on April 24 2024.

Swansea Crown Court was shown footage of the teenager – who was a pupil at the school – attacking teachers Fiona Elias and Liz Hopkin before moving on to stab another girl and eventually being restrained by staff.

As she attacked the first teacher she is accused of yelling “I’m going to f****** kill you”.

Opening the girl’s trial on Monday, Judge Paul Thomas KC told the jury this was the second time the case had been heard, with the previous trial having collapsed.

The judge told the new jury of seven men and five women the previous trial had been “abandoned for various reasons” and asked them to put anything they had previously heard “out of your minds”.

William Hughes KC, prosecuting, told the court the girl’s primary focus had been Mrs Elias, an assistant head teacher at the school.

The teacher had previously found a knife in the girl’s bag during a search, which led to her being suspended from school.

Upon her return, she was subject to daily bag searches by her father.

However, on the day of the incident, she left her home before her father could check her bag.

Mr Hughes said Mrs Elias described the girl as “a bit immature in class”, but they did not believe there was any animosity between them before the incident.

CCTV was shown to the jury showing the young girl standing outside the lower school hall talking to Mrs Elias and Ms Hopkin.

The prosecution told the jury: “Mrs Elias asked about her trousers which were not school uniform.

“There was an exchange between them about contacting her father, which she did not want.

“Mrs Elias then said she wasn’t happy with the way (the girl) was looking at her and asked what she had in her pocket.

“She said, ‘do you want to see’, and pulled out an item with a silver blade.

“On pulling out the knife, she said to Mrs Elias ‘I am going to kill you, I am going to f****** kill you’, and then she started to stab her.”

Ms Hopkin attempted to restrain the girl while Mrs Elias got away.

Having broken free, the girl picked up the knife she dropped and attacked Ms Hopkin, who ended up with the more serious injuries, including to her back, neck, legs and arms, and had to be airlifted for treatment.

The footage then showed two male teachers trying to calm the girl down, but she pushed past them, before running at the other pupil.

The court also heard the girl made a series of unsolicited comments in the back of the police vehicle, telling officers “I stabbed her – oopsies”.

She said: “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.”

She also asked, “are they dead” and “how am I going to face my family after what I’ve done?”

Mr Hughes said officers found notes and drawings at the girl’s home, referencing Mrs Elias and the girl she attacked.

One note said the girl will “burn” and another “cut their mouths and eyes”.

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

Summing up the case, Mr Hughes said: “She does not dispute that she is responsible for stabbing Fiona Elias, Liz Hopkin and (her fellow pupil).

“She does not deny she took her father’s multi-tool to Dyffryn Aman and used the blade to stab each member of staff and her fellow pupil.

“She does dispute she did so intending to kill one, two or all three of them.”

The trial continues.