Devon student attacked sleeping students and teachers with hammer in attempted murder

A public school student who attacked two sleeping students and a teacher with hammers at a boarding school has been jailed for life with a minimum sentence of 12 years after being found guilty of attempted murder.

The 16-year-old was wearing nothing but boxer shorts and used the weapons he collected to prepare for a zombie apocalypse.

The teenager admitted assaulting the two boys and the headteacher at Blundell’s School in Tiverton, Devon, but claimed he was sleepwalking.

Exeter Crown Court heard that the young man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, armed himself with three hammers and waited for the two boys to fall asleep before attacking them.

The two students were sleeping in cabin-style beds in one of the boarding houses at the mixed school when the defendant went up and attacked them just before 1am on June 9 last year.

Housemaster Henry Roffe-Silvester, who was sleeping in his quarters, was awakened by noises coming from the boarding house and went to investigate.

Upon entering the room where the attack occurred, he saw the silhouette of a figure standing in the room, who then turned towards him and repeatedly hit him in the head with a hammer.

Another student heard Mr Roffe-Silvester shouting and swearing as he fled his room and dialed 999 – believing there was an intruder.

The two boys were discovered in their beds a few minutes later.

They suffered skull fractures, as well as injuries to their ribs, spleen, punctured lung and internal bleeding.

The court heard they both live with the “long-term consequences” of the attack but have no memory of the incident.

Mr Roffe-Silvester suffered six blows to the head.

The defendant stated that he was sleepwalking at the time of the attacks – meaning he would not be guilty of attempted murder by reason of insanity.

But the jury found the defendant guilty of three counts of attempted murder.

During the trial, James Dawes KC, prosecuting, told jurors: “The investigation revealed an obsession the defendant had with one of the boys, an obsession with hammers as weapons and an obsession with killing and murderers and killing children.

“He had a reason, he planned something like this, he thought in advance and he was awake.

“He was using his iPad until the moment before the attack.

“Mr Roffe-Silvester said he thought the defendant looked like he was ‘on a mission’ and then his face and body relaxed, and he was calm and lying on his feet, crouched against the wall.”

But an expert told the jury that the boy was sleepwalking.

Dr Mark Pressman described the attack on Mr Roffe-Silvester as “a classic example of the violence of sleepwalking” and said there were no features in the case inconsistent with sleepwalking.

Relatives of the defendant also told the court about a history of sleepwalking in his family.

Another expert, Dr. John O’Reilly, said he did not believe the boy was asleep because a sleepwalker does not initiate violence because it is triggered by noise or touch.

Giving testimony, the boy said he kept two hammers next to his bed “to protect himself” from the “zombie apocalypse”.

The boy added: “I feel very sorry for the three individuals because of what I did to them.

“I feel sorry for everyone, for their families and for themselves.”

Kerim Fuad KC, defending, described the incident as a “tragic and extraordinary case” and said the defendant had the support of a loving family.

“One thing that is certain is that he will receive a substantial prison sentence for his appalling acts,” he said.

Fuad said the defendant was not mature for his age and has since been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

He explained that the teenager faced a combination of difficulties, including exams, problems in his personal life and an “unhealthy interest in violence and violent films”.

“This was a very unhealthy cocktail of extreme stress,” he added.

In passing sentence, Mrs Justice Cutts said the defendant was “dangerous” and that only a life sentence could protect the public from further crime as experts were unable to say how long he would pose a risk .

“However, it remains the case that you know the difference between right and wrong and plan to kill the boys and get hammers,” she said.

“You planned your offenses and used hammers you purchased as weapons.

“You knew very well that if you hit the boys several times with the hammers, they would die.

“You’re a smart boy and I’m glad you know the difference between right and wrong.

“I accept that in prison things will be difficult for you.

“In my opinion, there is still a significant risk that you could behave in this way again.

“I consider that you pose a high level of danger to the public due to the nature of your crimes.

“The life sentence remains the sentence of last resort. However, in my opinion, a life sentence is necessary in your case because it is impossible to say how long you will remain in danger.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Inspector Dave Egan said: “This was an unprovoked attack on two students as they slept in their beds. The attacks were brutal and savage and I have no doubt that their intention was to kill.

“Our detectives worked tirelessly to prove that the attacker was in fact fully conscious when committing this horrendous attack, which had been planned for months.”

The family of one of the teenagers said: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped with our son’s recovery – from the school community to the paramedics and the doctors and surgeons who provided exceptional care while he was in hospital. We are eternally grateful for your interventions.

“The police and prosecution team helped us navigate this horrific case with the utmost professionalism and compassion.

“The rigor and attention to detail in the investigation were truly impressive. We are indebted to everyone involved and would like to convey our sincerest thanks.”

The other boy’s family said: “I am satisfied with the way the investigation was handled by both the police and the prosecution team.

“I look forward to my family moving forward now that the trial is over and I hope my son continues his recovery and has a good future ahead of him.”

Bart Wielenga, principal at Blundell School, said in a statement: “We will continue to make counseling available to any staff or students who feel they need additional support.

“I have been very clear with the students that this is not an incident we whisper about or be ashamed of. It is part of our narrative, our shared history.

“We are allowed to talk about this openly and can express our emotions safely.

“I would also like to record my thanks to the emergency services who arrived at the scene so quickly and who dealt with a difficult situation with such compassion and expertise.

“The surgeons who treated the boys immediately afterwards were heroic and the care the boys received was excellent.”