A 13-year-old boy filmed himself stabbing two of his former schoolmates with a kitchen knife, a youth court heard this morning.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of attempting to murder two pupils, boys aged 12 and 13, at Kingsbury High School in Brent, north London, on Tuesday, leaving them seriously injured.
He is also charged with spraying a noxious substance at a third child, namely ant repellant, and unlawful possession of a knife on school grounds.
The defendant, a former pupil at the school, appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today wearing dark trousers and a grey top.
He spoke to confirm his name and date of birth.
Prosecutor Kathryn Selby told the court the boy made his way to the school armed with a kitchen knife at 12:40pm on Tuesday.
Ms Selby said: ‘He was recorded on CCTV entering a classroom. He immediately sprayed a pupil (Child C) directly in the face with a can of ant spray.
‘Once inside the classroom, he launched an unprovoked assault on another pupil (‘Child A’) by stabbing him in the neck.
A police van arrives at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this morning ahead of the hearing
A police van on the grounds of Kingsbury High School after the attack
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams speaking to media outside one of the school’s buildings
‘That victim suffered three stab wounds, a fracture to his spine and injuries to his neck and hand, requiring surgery.
‘Both assaults occurred in the presence of the teacher and children.’
Pupils cowered in the corner of the classroom trying to avoid danger while the attack unfolded, the court heard.
Ms Selby said the defendant left the classroom and ‘within a minute’ launched another unprovoked attack on a third victim, referred to as Child B, in the playground.
Child B suffered a 3cm stab wound to his neck.
She said both Child A and B remain in hospital with potentially life-changing injuries, though they are not thought to be life-threatening.
Ms Selby said: ‘Child C is severely traumatised by the attack and has not yet been able to make a formal statement.’
The defendant then left the school and remained undetected for around three hours, as police launched an urgent manhunt.
The prosecutor said: ‘He sought refuge in a mosque, speaking to an Imam. He was crying.’
The defendant was arrested and the knife, can of ant spray and iPhone 13 were said to have been recovered from his pocket.
Ms Selby said: ‘Footage shows he filmed the entire attack. He recorded imagery of the assaults on Child A, B and C on his iPhone.’
There is no suggestion any of the footage was uploaded to social media.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring remanded the boy in a youth detention facility ahead of a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey on February 27.
Commander Helen Flanagan, from Counter Terrorism Policing London, said before the hearing: ‘These are extremely serious charges against a young boy, and we continue to support the victims and their families, as well as the wider school community following this shocking incident.
‘While we have now charged the boy with these offences, our investigation is ongoing and detectives will continue to carry out enquiries in the local area.
‘We are working closely with local policing colleagues in the Brent area and I would also like to thank the school and the wider local community for their support in recent days.’
In the wake of the attack, Councillor Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, said the community had been ‘shattered by an unthinkable act of violence’.
He said on Wednesday: ‘Our thoughts today remain with the two boys in hospital, thankfully now in a stable condition and I wish them well with their recovery at this unimaginably difficult time.
‘I also want to pay tribute to the teachers and staff led by the Headteacher Alex Thomas at Kingsbury High: you protected your students and showed extraordinary care and courage.
‘Knife crime is neither normal nor inevitable. We must never allow ourselves to accept this as just another part of life in this city and this country.
‘As a society, we must do far more to tackle the anger, fear and pain that too many young people are carrying. My message to young people today is simple, if you are struggling, reach out.’