Schoolgirl who attempted to murder teachers and pupil in Wales detained for 15 years

A 14-year-old girl who attempted to murder two teachers and a pupil at a school in Wales has been sentenced to 15 years in detention.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was previously found guilty of attempting to murder teachers Fiona Elias and Liz Hopkin and a pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire.

Emergency services were called to the school on 24 April last year, in what the trial heard was a "serious episode of violence" during the mid-morning break.

The girl had taken her father's fishing "multi-tool" to school and she admitted three counts of wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article on a school premises.

Following a week-long trial in February, a jury found her guilty of attempted murder.

After her arrest, the teenager told officers she was "pretty sure" the incident would be on the news, and added "that's one way to be a celebrity".

Both Mrs Elias and Mrs Hopkin "received significant and serious injuries", Swansea Crown Court heard.

Mrs Hopkin was airlifted to hospital after she suffered "four stab wounds", while Mrs Elias and the pupil also attended hospital for treatment.

'Changed my life forever'

Reading a victim impact statement from the witness box on Monday, Mrs Elias said the incident had shown her that life was "fragile" and had been "a steep learning curve".

"Walking out on duty that day would change my life forever," she said, adding it was a moment which "replays itself over and over no matter how much time passes".

"It's not easy, and I know I'll continue to face challenges, but every day I'm taking steps towards healing," Mrs Elias told the court.

Addressing the defendant, Mrs Elias said "your motive was clear, you intended to murder me" but that she was stopped "thanks to Liz's selfless actions".

She said she was not "ruling out the possibility of a meeting with [the pupil] in the future," but that she first needed to know she would "engage with the interventions that will be put in place".

Outlining her plans to campaign for safer working conditions at schools, Mrs Elias said: "I never expected to give my blood, but I will always give my heart to Ysgol Dyffryn Aman and to the world of education."

'I was sure I was going to die'

Mrs Hopkin said it had been "the worst experience of [her] life" but that she was "glad" she was "in the right place at the right time" to protect Mrs Elias.

"I'm still here, I'm still alive, though at the time I was sure that I was going to die," she told the court.

"Physically, my wounds have healed but the scars remain."

Mrs Hopkin added that the thought of returning to a career in teaching now filled her with "anxiety and dread".

"You were prepared to kill someone you did not know," she said, addressing the defendant.

"The decision to end my life was never yours to make."

Mrs Hopkin said she worried about the defendant's future, adding: "I don't want you to be punished forever but I do want you to take every opportunity to make your life better."

Concluding her victim personal statement, Mrs Hopkin said: "It has changed me in ways I never wanted and that is something I will have to live with for the rest of my life."

'Very complex young girl'

In mitigation, Caroline Rees KC said the defendant was "a very complex young girl" and had a "difficult background".

Handing down his sentence, Judge Paul Thomas said the defendant would serve half of the 15-year sentence before she can be considered for release.

Addressing the defendant, he said: "What you did in school almost a year ago to the day has caused a large number of people a great deal of harm and upset. It has hugely affected many lives, including, of course, your own."

"The simple fact is you tried to kill three people - two teachers and another pupil," he added.

"I think that it is very important here - that what you did, you did in full view of so many other pupils... in my view you wanted as many of your fellow pupils as possible to see what you intended to do."

The judge added that "for one reason or other, [the defendant wasn't] really listening" to the victim impact statements of Mrs Elias and Mrs Hopkin.

He said he did not think the teenager was "genuinely sorry" for what she did, adding: "You showed no emotion or even interest in how they felt that day or ever since."

Speaking after the sentence was passed, Detective Chief Superintendent Ross Evans from Dyfed-Powys Police said the impact on the victims "remains ongoing".

"All three suffered physical harm at the hands of the defendant and although wounds can heal with time, it will take considerably longer to recover from the mental trauma her actions caused," he said.

"For the students who unfortunately witnessed such an act of violence as they went about their day, I sincerely hope they are still able to view their school as a place of safety, and that today's sentence shows that any attempt to compromise school safety will not be tolerated."

(c) Sky News 2025: Schoolgirl who attempted to murder teachers and pupil in Wales detained for 15 years