A 13-year-old boy has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after a pupil was stabbed in the neck with a kitchen knife at a school in north-west London.
Emergency services were called to Kingsbury High School in Brent at around 12.40pm on Tuesday following reports that two students had been stabbed. One boy sustained three stab wounds, a spinal fracture and injuries to the neck and hands that required surgery, Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told on Thursday.
The second victim sustained a three centimetre wound after he was stabbed in the playground, the court heard.
Witnesses reportedly said a 13-year-old boy, arrested hours after the incident, is a former pupil who allegedly “used his uniform as a disguise”. The teenager, who has not been named because of his age, appeared in court wearing a grey prison-issue tracksuit.
The boy has also been charged with unlawfully and maliciously administering a noxious thing after allegedly spraying insect spray in the face of a third child, and possession of a knife on school premises.
Prosecutor Kathryn Selby told the hearing that at just gone midday, the boy arrived at the classroom door carrying ant spray and the knife.
He allegedly sprayed the ant spray in a child’s face before stabbing the other boy, the prosecution said. Numerous children and a teacher were present, the court heard.
Ms Selby said he then walked downstairs and stabbed another child in the neck in a playground area, leaving a 3cm wound.
The conditions of two alleged stab victims are not thought to be life-threatening but whether they are life-changing is uncertain, the prosecution said.
Metropolitan Police officers said their investigation into the “shocking incident” is ongoing, and that detectives will continue to carry out enquiries in the local area.
They added while the probe is being handled by a counter-terrorism team “due to circumstances surrounding the incident”, it has not been declared as a terrorist incident.
Commander Helen Flanagan, from Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: “These are extremely serious charges against a young boy, and we continue to support the victims and their families, as well as the wider school community following this shocking incident.
“While we have now charged the boy with these offences, our investigation is ongoing and detectives will continue to carry out enquiries in the local area. We are working closely with local policing colleagues in the Brent area and I would also like to thank the school and the wider local community for their support in recent days.”
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan also urged anyone with information to contact the police, adding: “There is no honour in staying silent. This awful violence has absolutely no place in our city.”
