A 15-year-old boy has appeared in court charged with the attempted murder of a teenage girl who was stabbed in the back at a secondary school near Norwich.
The defendant, who wore a dark-coloured jumper and tracksuit bottoms, appeared in the secure dock at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on Friday, together with three security officers.
He spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth, and was not asked to enter pleas to the charges of attempted murder and possession of a knife on school premises.
Prosecutor Josephine Jones said the defendant and the girl he is accused of attacking are both 15-year-old pupils at Thorpe St Andrew School.
The school went into lockdown and armed police were sent to the scene after a number of 999 calls were made on Wednesday.
The prosecutor said “CCTV of the toilet area shows a male all in black wearing a black mask” carrying a “carving knife with a lengthy blade”.
She added: “The victim had been stabbed to the back.”
Ms Jones said the defendant fled but was arrested by police nearby.
District Judge Matthew Bone put in place reporting restrictions, meaning the identities of the defendant and the girl cannot be published.
He remanded the defendant into youth detention accommodation, with his next hearing to be at Norwich Crown Court on April 10.
The boy’s father sat on a chair outside the secure dock, close to his son, as he listened to proceedings. The father wiped tears from his eyes at the end of the hearing, having been offered a box of tissues.
Police were called to Thorpe St Andrew School on Laundry Lane at 10.24am on Wednesday following reports that a teenage girl had been stabbed.
The girl was taken to hospital with minor injuries and has since been discharged.
