Tate Modern attacker Jonty Bravery showed chilling aggressive behaviour at the age of seven, a teacher has revealed.
Alison McInerney said the autistic teenager who hurled a six-year-old boy from the gallery’s roof was like a “loaded grenade” in primary school.
And she claims Bravery’s dad’s pleas for more support for him were ignored by council bosses.
“Jonty would make unprovoked attacks on other children, kicking punching and scratching, from a very young age,” said special needs teacher Alison, 48.
“I told a friend when he was seven he’d become either a sex pest or a murderer. He was menacing. Jonty had more than moderate learning difficulties.
“He had so many demons he needed constant one-to-one support – two to one in the playground for other children’s safety.
“Staff spoke openly of their concerns and agencies did come in to make assessments, but it never went any further.”
She said Jonty’s dad Piers, 53, “was utterly devoted” to his son and “fought for better provision for him”.
But his plea to Hammersmith & Fulham council for costs to send Jonty to a boarding school that could help his challenging behaviour was turned down.
“The system failed,” said Alison. “He was never placed in the right provision.”
Bravery, 18, will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Monday after admitting attempted murder over the August London gallery attack that left his victim with fractures to his spine, legs and arms and a bleed on the brain from the 100ft fall.
The French youngster remains in hospital, severely disabled.
The court heard Bravery had a personality disorder.
Last week, a whistleblower claimed Spencer and Arlington, the care company looking after Bravery, reduced the troubled teen’s supervision level even though “no one could control him”.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council said: “An independent serious case review is now under way. It will look at the role played by all the different agencies involved.”
