Boy stabbed pupil with limited force, court told

A masked schoolboy who stabbed a teenage girl could not have intended to kill her because he had used "limited force" with the knife, a court has heard.

Norfolk Police was called to Thorpe St Andrew School, near Norwich, on 11 March following reports a 15-year-old had been stabbed in the back.

The defendant, who is 16 and cannot be named for legal reasons, denies attempted murder, but has admitted possessing a kitchen knife without lawful authority and wounding with intent.

Stephen Rose KC, defending, told the jury at King's Lynn Crown Court there were no other "sensible explanations" for why the blade did not "penetrate further into [the victim's] body".

Giving his closing speech for the defence, Rose told the jury the wound was "slight and shallow".

The jury was previously told the boy, who was 15 years old at the time, was captured on CCTV stabbing the schoolgirl, who described to police how she told a teacher: "Sir, I've been stabbed."

The defence counsel said medical notes stated there were "no clinical signs of significant blood loss" and the injury "wasn't even a life-threatening wound".

"There are no other sensible explanations why that pointed kitchen knife, with its 18cm blade, has failed to penetrate further into [the victim's] body," Rose said.

The court previously heard the defendant had written notes saying he hated women and had written out a plan for a larger attack.

Rose said that while he accepted some details in the incident [he is on trial for] were similar, what had been written was "far more extensive" and a "far more brutal" plan.

He made reference to a note, mentioned earlier in the trial, about a "victims list" and about writings the boy had made that said "go for the teacher first" and talked about "cutting throats".

The boy "did not do that" during the actual stabbing, Rose said.

"Despite contemplating multiple blows in his writings, the second blow never comes," he added.

The teenage boy has elected not to give evidence during his trial.

The court has also heard an interview with the police where a witness said the boy "hesitated".

"We suggest they are important words," the defence barrister said.

"We suggest this hesitation is a clue to a state of mind.

"Hesitation is completely against a settled and planned intention to kill.

"We have sought to demonstrate that it goes too far that this is a case of attempted murder - it certainly goes too far to say you [the jury] are sure it's a case of attempted murder.

"Justice is not served by convicting a defendant of attempted murder and certainly not when the evidence shows the opposite."

The trial continues.

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