British schoolboy, 16, jailed for life for stabbing teacher to death in class
A 16-year-old British schoolboy was jailed for life on Monday (Nov 3) for killing a teacher in front of her class.
The boy, who cannot be named due to his age, was 15 when he stabbed Ms Ann Maguire seven times with a large kitchen knife in front of terrified pupils on April 28.
Judge Peter Coulson told the court that the boy’s pride in his actions and lack of remorse were “truly grotesque”.
The judge jailed the boy for life, with a minimum of 20 years to be spent behind bars before he can be eligible for release on licence.
He added that having read about him, “it’s quite possible that day may never come".
'Sense of pride'
The boy, who pleaded guilty to murder, had spoken of attacking other school staff, including a pregnant woman “so as to kill her unborn child”.
The boy had told a psychiatrist that he retained “a sense of pride” over the pre-planned killing, the court heard.
Asked about the impact on the teacher’s family, the boy had replied: “I don’t care. In my eyes, everything I’ve done is fine.”
His parents are “at a loss to understand” what their son did, prosecutor Paul Greaney told the court.
Pain and anguish
Ms Maguire taught a Spanish class at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds, northern England, and was popular with students.
The 61-year-old woman had been due to retire within months. She was stabbed to death in front of her pupils.
After the attack, the boy sat back down in his chair, Mr Greaney said, “as if nothing had happened” and said to the class, "Good times".
Ms Maguire’s sister Denise Courtenay said outside court: “We shall never recover from this pain and anguish. No amount of punishment can ever compensate for the loss of Ann’s life.”
Source: AFP
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