A 17-year-old boy sentenced to life for attacking two sleeping students and a teacher with hammers at a private school can be named after a judge lifted restrictions on publishing his identity.
Thomas Wei Huang, armed with three claw hammers, waited for the two boys to be asleep before attacking them at Blundell’s school in Devon, Exeter crown court previously heard.
He was wearing only his boxer shorts and used weapons he had collected to prepare for a “zombie apocalypse”, the court was told.
After sentencing Huang on 18 October to a minimum term of 12 years for attempted murder, Mrs Justice Cutts has now lifted restrictions on reporting of his name that were initially imposed due to his age.
Huang is from Malaysia and turns 18 in January. He is from a wealthy family and was a boarding student at Blundell’s. During his evidence, he told the jury: “I wanted to come to England to study in a boarding school. I knew that I would have to live in school seven days a week. I was excited to be doing it.”
The court heard Huang’s brother, who is two years older than him, had also attended Blundell’s. During half-term breaks the brothers would spend time at the family’s London home in Battersea, rather than returning to Malaysia. They would spend their longer holidays in Malaysia, London or in Europe.
When asked if he was happy at the school, Huang replied: “Yes I was.”
The defendant admitted he had two mobile phones at school because one had to be handed in at night and he wanted to use the other before going to sleep.
Huang also told the jury he kept a hammer under his pillow and another on the side of his bed next to where he stored snacks. When asked why he slept with these weapons close to him, Huang replied: “For protection.” He told the court he needed protection from “the zombie apocalypse”.
Huang said he had seen depictions of zombies in films and TV shows such as The Walking Dead. When asked if he thought the apocalypse was real, he said: “Yes I do.” He told jurors it would be “the end of the world” and had told friends but believed they thought he was joking. Huang described zombies as “vicious creatures” and said he required at least two weapons for protection in case the other was lost.
The defendant described himself as “scared and anxious” after being arrested for attempted murder. He said he had previously only been in a police station in Malaysia when his father was accused of speeding. The court heard that since the incident at Blundell’s school Huang had been diagnosed as autistic.
Giving evidence, he claimed he had not attempted to murder any of those he attacked on 9 June last year. Asked how he felt now, Huang replied: “I feel very terribly sorry for all three individuals because of what I did to them. I feel very sorry for everyone, the families and themselves.”
Huang could not be named at that point to allow his defence team to make further legal applications relating to his anonymity. On Friday it was confirmed that no such application would be made and the reporting restrictions were formally lifted.
