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| 'I'm going to kill you' - how school day turned to chaos amid stabbing | 'I'm going to kill you' - how school day turned to chaos amid stabbing |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Teachers Fiona Elias (left) and Liz Hopkin (right) and a pupil were injured in the stabbing at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman last April | |
| It had been a normal April day at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman until the Carmarthenshire school playground was suddenly thrown into chaos. | It had been a normal April day at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman until the Carmarthenshire school playground was suddenly thrown into chaos. |
| "I saw a girl take out a knife. Everyone was running, everyone was screaming. It was so scary," one pupil recalls. | "I saw a girl take out a knife. Everyone was running, everyone was screaming. It was so scary," one pupil recalls. |
| Shouting "I'm going to kill you", a teenager had stabbed teachers Fiona Elias and Liz Hopkin, as well as a fellow pupil at the secondary school in Ammanford. | Shouting "I'm going to kill you", a teenager had stabbed teachers Fiona Elias and Liz Hopkin, as well as a fellow pupil at the secondary school in Ammanford. |
| The 14-year-old girl, who cannot be named due to her age, has now been found guilty of attempted murder. | The 14-year-old girl, who cannot be named due to her age, has now been found guilty of attempted murder. |
| The teenager previously admitted stabbing three people and of having a knife in school, but denied attempted murder. | The teenager previously admitted stabbing three people and of having a knife in school, but denied attempted murder. |
| It is a day that many pupils at the school, and their parents, will never forget. | It is a day that many pupils at the school, and their parents, will never forget. |
| Lacey, 12, was outside at the time of the stabbing and saw the incident unfolding. | Lacey, 12, was outside at the time of the stabbing and saw the incident unfolding. |
| "It all started when I was on the playground at school," she said. | "It all started when I was on the playground at school," she said. |
| "There was a group of people with their phones out, filming something. I thought it was probably some pupils having a silly fight. | "There was a group of people with their phones out, filming something. I thought it was probably some pupils having a silly fight. |
| "But I saw a girl with a knife." | "But I saw a girl with a knife." |
| Pupils at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman went into lockdown following the stabbings during morning break time on 24 April | Pupils at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman went into lockdown following the stabbings during morning break time on 24 April |
| Swansea Crown Court heard how the teenager stabbed Ms Elias first as she shouted "I'm going to kill you", before attacking Ms Hopkin, and then running towards a pupil with a knife and stabbing her too. | Swansea Crown Court heard how the teenager stabbed Ms Elias first as she shouted "I'm going to kill you", before attacking Ms Hopkin, and then running towards a pupil with a knife and stabbing her too. |
| "Everyone was running, everyone was screaming," Lacey added. | "Everyone was running, everyone was screaming," Lacey added. |
| "Another teacher came running, shouting 'Get back to class now!'. | "Another teacher came running, shouting 'Get back to class now!'. |
| "In that moment, I felt like I was going to faint. I was so traumatised. | "In that moment, I felt like I was going to faint. I was so traumatised. |
| "I ran to the nearest classroom I could find and I was on my own. I felt like someone was behind me, chasing after me. It was so scary." | "I ran to the nearest classroom I could find and I was on my own. I felt like someone was behind me, chasing after me. It was so scary." |
| Watch the moment 14-year-old girl stabs teachers | Watch the moment 14-year-old girl stabs teachers |
| Lacey's father, Christopher, said parents struggled to contact their children. | Lacey's father, Christopher, said parents struggled to contact their children. |
| "The news started breaking that there were police at the school... ambulances... that a pupil had stabbed another pupil and teachers," he said. | "The news started breaking that there were police at the school... ambulances... that a pupil had stabbed another pupil and teachers," he said. |
| "Obviously, nobody could get in contact with the school. | "Obviously, nobody could get in contact with the school. |
| "My heart just sunk in fear that something had happened to my daughter because we just didn't know." | "My heart just sunk in fear that something had happened to my daughter because we just didn't know." |
| Another pupil, Osian, 16, who has since left the school to go to college, said he would never forget the day of the attacks. | Another pupil, Osian, 16, who has since left the school to go to college, said he would never forget the day of the attacks. |
| He saw a part of the incident and was kept in lockdown for four hours as the school's emergency plans kicked in while police investigated. | He saw a part of the incident and was kept in lockdown for four hours as the school's emergency plans kicked in while police investigated. |
| "It was scary, knowing that we couldn't even go to the toilet without a teacher being there to make sure we were safe," he said. | "It was scary, knowing that we couldn't even go to the toilet without a teacher being there to make sure we were safe," he said. |
| "There were a lot of rumours going around. Unfortunately for me, I was one of the people who was there and saw some of what happened. | "There were a lot of rumours going around. Unfortunately for me, I was one of the people who was there and saw some of what happened. |
| "I'm going to remember that day for the rest of my life. It was terrifying. It was chaos." | "I'm going to remember that day for the rest of my life. It was terrifying. It was chaos." |
| Crowds of concerned parents lined up outside the school to hear news of their children following the incident | Crowds of concerned parents lined up outside the school to hear news of their children following the incident |
| A Freedom of Information request by BBC Wales has suggested children as young as Year 2 - aged six and seven - have been found with a blade on school premises during the past five full academic years in Wales. | A Freedom of Information request by BBC Wales has suggested children as young as Year 2 - aged six and seven - have been found with a blade on school premises during the past five full academic years in Wales. |
| In Carmarthenshire, it has been recorded that three teenage pupils had a blade in school in the two months following the incident at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, and two of those incidents involved a multi-tool knife. | In Carmarthenshire, it has been recorded that three teenage pupils had a blade in school in the two months following the incident at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, and two of those incidents involved a multi-tool knife. |
| Gwynedd's council recorded six incidents of blades brought to school in 2023-24, with five relating to self-harm. | Gwynedd's council recorded six incidents of blades brought to school in 2023-24, with five relating to self-harm. |
| Meanwhile, a pupil was arrested and charged after an incident involving a blade at a secondary school in Powys in 2024. | Meanwhile, a pupil was arrested and charged after an incident involving a blade at a secondary school in Powys in 2024. |
| Vale of Glamorgan council said a teacher was threatened by a Year 9 pupil with a sharp object in 2022. | Vale of Glamorgan council said a teacher was threatened by a Year 9 pupil with a sharp object in 2022. |
| The majority of local authorities in Wales said they did not hold information relating to our Freedom of Information request. | The majority of local authorities in Wales said they did not hold information relating to our Freedom of Information request. |
| 'Following footsteps of cities in the US' | 'Following footsteps of cities in the US' |
| Teachers' union UCAC said there was fear among teachers across Wales about bad behaviour and violence. | Teachers' union UCAC said there was fear among teachers across Wales about bad behaviour and violence. |
| "To take extra steps, to screen, to provide extra security in schools, there might come a time that we need to look at that, but we need to consider then who's responsible for it," said secretary general Ioan Rhys Jones. | "To take extra steps, to screen, to provide extra security in schools, there might come a time that we need to look at that, but we need to consider then who's responsible for it," said secretary general Ioan Rhys Jones. |
| "Unless investment is put into the education system, we might well be following in the footsteps of some of the cities in the United States." | "Unless investment is put into the education system, we might well be following in the footsteps of some of the cities in the United States." |
| Plaid Cymru Senedd member - and ex-pupil of Ysgol Dyffryn Aman - Adam Price, also called for action on school safety from the Welsh government. | Plaid Cymru Senedd member - and ex-pupil of Ysgol Dyffryn Aman - Adam Price, also called for action on school safety from the Welsh government. |
| "I've been frustrated so far with the government's response," he said. | "I've been frustrated so far with the government's response," he said. |
| "Of course, it can happen anywhere, and anytime. That's why I think we need to have a full scale national review of school safety." | "Of course, it can happen anywhere, and anytime. That's why I think we need to have a full scale national review of school safety." |
| The Welsh government said: "Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this case. Any form of violence or abuse against staff in our schools is completely unacceptable. | The Welsh government said: "Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this case. Any form of violence or abuse against staff in our schools is completely unacceptable. |
| "Schools can take immediate and permanent action to expel any pupil in possession of a weapon, and schools have an existing power to search for weapons." | "Schools can take immediate and permanent action to expel any pupil in possession of a weapon, and schools have an existing power to search for weapons." |
| It added the cabinet secretary for education took the issue of school safety "incredibly seriously" and a National Behaviour Summit was planned for the spring. | It added the cabinet secretary for education took the issue of school safety "incredibly seriously" and a National Behaviour Summit was planned for the spring. |