One of two Perth students accused of a knife attack on a teacher at a southern suburbs high school has pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted murder.
The girl was aged 14 in November last year when she took a knife to Willetton Senior High School and attacked the female teacher during a meeting at about 11:00am.
A previous hearing in the Perth Children's Court was told while the intention was to inflict fatal injuries on the teacher, she moved just before she was stabbed and ended up suffering only a one-centimetre wound near her left armpit.
It was alleged the stabbing was discussed in the weeks before with another 13-year-old female student in an online gaming chat platform.
That student, who has pleaded not guilty to the charge of attempted murder, is alleged to have hidden the knife in her bag before handing it back to the 14-year-old before the attack.
Case to hinge on maturity
The court was told previously while the 14-year-old was "the driving force" behind the attack, the 13-year-old was aware of her desire to kill the teacher.
On Thursday the Perth Children's Court was told the facts of that case would not be in dispute at the trial and the issue would be the capacity of the younger girl, who is now 14, to fully understand what she was doing.
The younger girl, who appeared via video link from her home, was released on bail until the start of her trial, when she was told she would have to appear in court in person.
The older girl who pleaded guilty was again released on bail, with strict conditions including a 24-hour curfew, until she is sentenced in July.
Her lawyer Tony Elliott said a report would be provided by her treating psychologist, but Children's Court president Hylton Quail also ordered an independent psychological report.
Judge Quail told the girl he had not yet formed any view about what sentence she should receive, although he said the charge against her was "extremely serious".
However, Judge Quail said the girl would be given credit for her pleading guilty at an early opportunity which he said was "extremely important."
