Mother of Attacker Describes Son's Behavior and Post-Attack Messages in Trial

Based on reporting by BBC UK:

The mother of a teenage boy who was involved in a masked stabbing at Thorpe St Andrew School near Norwich told a trial at King's Lynn Crown Court that she received a message from her son saying "sorry" shortly after the attack. Police responded to the school on March 11 after reports surfaced that a 15-year-old had been stabbed in the back.

The defendant, who is 16 and cannot be named for legal reasons, has admitted to possessing a kitchen knife without lawful authority and wounding with intent, though he denies the charge of attempted murder. The mother told the jury that she was in complete shock upon learning her son was involved after seeing reports of the unfolding events on social media.

She described her son as being "very quiet, very funny, very smart" and possessing a "dry sense of humour." The court had previously heard that the defendant had written notes expressing hatred for women, and the schoolgirl victim had told police that she had been stabbed by saying to a teacher, "Sir, I've been stabbed."

During Monday's court session, the mother stated that the day before the attack was "completely normal" and that her son went to school at his usual time the next morning. She mentioned that she first became aware of the situation while she was "doom-scrolling." She messaged her son to check on him but did not get an immediate reply. She expressed concern because when she saw he was not at school and someone had fled, she worried her son might be involved.

She recounted receiving a message on her phone that read "I'm sorry." When she subsequently called her son to ask what had occurred, he responded with "nothing good" and that he had "hurt someone." The mother observed that her son did not sound like himself, speaking in "very short sentences" and sounding "very upset." She and her husband went to search for him and passed two police cars with lights and sirens on. She called 999, provided the police with her son's location, and was then advised to return home. She confirmed to the court that she did not check his phone or have any concerns about how he was using it.

Regarding the incident at the school, a teacher who pursued the boy after the attack described how the then 15-year-old had fled. The teacher stated that a witness who saw the stabbing approached him and informed him that "she's been stabbed." When the teacher went to the corridor, he noted that the only person he saw was dressed entirely in black. He described himself as being "very shocked" and shouted for the boy to stop. He told the jury that he ran after the boy for approximately 25 seconds, shouting "stop," and observed a black glove that had been dropped.