13 year old girl appears in court over Ammanford school stabbing
West Wales reporter Lewis Rhys-Jones reports from Llanelli Magistrates
A 13 year old girl has appeared in court for the first time charged with attempted murder after a stabbing at a school in west Wales.
Pupils at Amman Valley School, also known as Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, in Carmarthenshire went into lockdown just after 11.20am on Wednesday after the stabbing at the end of morning break.
Two teachers and a pupil were hurt in the incident but have since been released from hospital.
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, showed no emotion as she appeared in the dock at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Speaking only to confirm her name and address, the teenager, who wore a grey jumper, looked small next to the courtroom staff who surrounded her.
She was charged with three counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article on a school premises, and will next appear at Swansea Crown Court on May 27.
She was remanded to a youth detention accommodation.
District Judge Mark Layton said remanding a 13-year-old into youth justice detention was a “difficult decision” in a hearing that lasted around 20 minutes.
Laura Sherwood, representing the girl, made an application for bail which was refused by the judge.
Abigail Jackson appeared for the prosecution
It comes as a 15-year-old boy was arrested later on Wednesday after police received reports about messages on social media referring to the stabbing.
One of the teachers injured in the attack has been named as Fiona Elias, the head of year seven.
The second adult is reported to be Liz Hopkin, a special needs teacher.
The south-west Wales school went into lockdown after a “code red” alarm sounded through the PA system, during which students and staff are said to have hidden in classrooms – with one pupil reportedly vaulting the school fence to get to safety.
The lockdown lasted around four hours between 11.20am and 3.20pm, resulting in a lengthy and anxious wait for parents who were seen tearfully hugging their children after they walked through the gates.
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