School hammer attack: Teen denies attempted murder

A teenager attacked two sleeping students and a teacher in a "horrifying hammer attack" at a private boarding school, a court has heard.

The 17-year-old, who has gone on trial at Exeter Crown Court, denies three counts of attempted murder.

The attack took place shortly before 01:00 BST on 9 June 2023 at Blundell's School in Tiverton.

Both students were left with life-changing injuries, the jury was told.

The court heard how the accused, who was 16 at the time and cannot be identified for legal reasons, shared a boarding house room with the teenage victims.

Exeter Crown Court heard the teenager had armed himself with three claw hammers and waited for the two boys to be asleep before allegedly attacking them.

Prosecutor James Dawes KC said defendant's plan had been "fermenting in his head for some time".

He said: "The boys are asleep, and they had both had their heads on pillows, and then he smashed a hammer or hammers into their heads as they slept, multiple times.

"He also hit arms and backs. He didn't just use the flat end of the hammer - he used the claw end as well to strike these boys."

The jury heard neither of the victims, who were 15 and 16 at the time, had any memory of the attacks and only recalled going to bed and waking up in hospital some days later.

Mr Dawes told the jury both boys suffered skull fractures, as well as injuries to their ribs, spleen, a punctured lung and internal bleeding.

He said both were left with life-changing injuries and would "never be the same again as they were prior to the attack".

Housemaster Henry-Roffe Silvester, who was 38 at the time, was also attacked and suffered serious injuries when he went to investigate the noise, the court heard.

The court heard Mr Roffe-Silvester later said the defendant's expression during the attack was "neutral and unsettling".

Mr Dawes said Mr Roffe-Silvester received "six impacts to his head" as he retreated down a corridor away from the teenager.

The prosecution said after the attack, the defendant told another student he had been watching horror movies and "had weapons to prepare for the zombie apocalypse and to protect himself".

The court heard other pupils heard the teenager, who was covered in blood, say "I was dreaming" and "I was sleepwalking".

Mr Dawes said it was "astonishing" both boys survived the attacks and praised the quick actions of a boy in the boarding house who called 999, and the skill of the paramedics and doctors at Barnstaple hospital.

The trial is expected to last up to six weeks.

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