Ann Maguire’s death was the first time a teacher has been stabbed to death in a British classroom
A 16-year-old boy who today admitted murdering Ann Maguire sent a Facebook message just weeks before the killing - saying the teacher 'deserves more than death', a court has heard.
The
boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, dramatically pleaded guilty
on the day he was due to stand trial for her killing.
Leeds
Crown Court was told that the boy had sent a message on Facebook which
said of Mrs Maguire: ‘The one absolute f****** bitch that deserves more
than death, more than pain and more than anything that we can
understand.’
The
teenager stabbed Mrs Maguire, 61, as she taught a class at Corpus
Christi Catholic College, in Leeds, in April, when he was 15.
Prosecutor
Paul Greaney QC told the court: ‘It is important that we should record
that it is clear from the evidence that the parents of (the boy) are
decent people and responsible parents.
‘They
are at a loss to understand how and why their son has turned out as he
has and they have co-operated fully with the police and with the
prosecution.
'It
follows that this is not one of those cases in which a defendant's
actions may find a degree of explanation in his family circumstances. On
the contrary, (the boy's) family life was marked by love and support.’
Mr
Greaney added that that made the defendant's actions ‘all the more
inexplicable’. He said the boy was in Mrs Maguire's Spanish class and
his academic reports ‘had generally been positive’.
Mrs Maguire lived with her husband, Don, who is a former maths teacher and landscape gardener
Mr
Greaney said there was nothing to indicate to the boy's parents or
teachers a risk of ‘homicidal violence’. But, he said, pupils noticed
disturbing aspects to his personality.
The boy told other children that he hated Mrs Maguire and wanted her dead.
The
prosecutor said: ‘Late on the night of Christmas Eve 2013 and into the
early hours of Christmas Day, the defendant exchanged messages with a
friend on Facebook.
‘In
those messages he spoke of "brutally killing" Mrs Maguire and spending
the rest of his life in jail so as not to have to worry about life or
money.’
Daughters: Emma Maguire (right) with sister Kerry (left) arriving at Leeds Crown Court for the hearing today
The
defendant, wearing a grey suit and tie, stood flanked by two prison
officers in the dock as the court clerk read out the charge.
The one absolute f****** bitch that deserves more than death, more than pain and more than anything that we can understand
Boy's Facebook message
He
looked straight ahead and showed no emotion as he admitted murdering
Mrs Maguire. The teenager's parents sat at the back of the dock and
listened intently to the details of their son's crime.
Mrs
Maguire's family sat in an area of the courtroom normally reserved for
court officials, while the large public gallery was packed with members
of the press.
Due to the young age of the defendant, the judge and barristers did not wear their wigs and gowns during the hearing.
The
boy told a psychiatrist how he planned the murder. The prosecutor said
he brought a bottle of whisky to school to celebrate after the attack.
Hearing: Don Maguire (second right), the husband of Mrs Maguire, arrives at Leeds Crown Court today
Mr
Greaney told the court how the defendant said to the expert: ‘I decided
on Sunday it was going to be a knife. I thought I was just going to go
to school and wait for her lesson and do it.
I wanted to get caught. That's why I did it in school. I wanted to be in jail
What boy told psychiatrist
‘I wanted to get caught. That's why I did it in school. I wanted to be in jail.’
Mr
Greaney said the boy told other pupils he was going to attack Mrs
Maguire on the morning of the murder. The boy showed some of them the
knives he had with him.
Mr
Greaney said the boy left a room next to where Mrs Maguire was teaching
and winked at a fellow student before going to attack her.
There was no expression on the boy's face as he stabbed her, one pupil said, according to the prosecutor.
In attendance: Emma and Kerry Maguire were earlier pictured arriving by car at the court for the hearing
Mr Greaney said: ‘Mrs Maguire was at her desk helping pupils. She was leaning over, looking at the work of a girl called...
He
spoke of "brutally killing" Mrs Maguire and spending the rest of his
life in jail so as not to have to worry about life or money
Paul Greaney QC, prosecuting
‘The
defendant approached his teacher and began to stab her in the neck and
back. He attacked her from behind. Ann Maguire was 61 years of age, 5ft
2inches in height and of slim build.
‘The
defendant was a full foot taller and was armed with a large kitchen
knife. To describe his attack as cowardly hardly does it justice.’
The prosecutor said Mrs Maguire fled but she was chased by the boy ‘stabbing her as she sought to escape’.
Mr
Greaney said the boy had earlier told pupils he wanted to attack other
teachers, including a pregnant woman ‘so as to kill her unborn child’.
Flowers: Tributes for Mrs Maguire were left outside Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds in April and May
Mrs
Maguire’s death on April 28 was the first time a teacher has been
stabbed to death in a British classroom and the first killing of a
teacher in a school since the 1996 Dunblane massacre.
The defendant approached his teacher and began to stab her in the neck and back
Paul Greaney QC, prosecuting
She first went to Corpus Christi as a student teacher and last year the school held a celebration of her 40 years of service.
This year, she had moved to working four days a week ahead of her planned retirement.
Mrs
Maguire, who was head of Year 11 at the school for more than 10 years,
lived in the Moortown area of Leeds with her husband, Don, who is a
former maths teacher and landscape gardener.
He attended the court hearing today, along with their daughters Emma and Kerry Maguire.
No comments:
Post a Comment