Boy, 15, denies stabbing teacher at Tewkesbury school
12 July 2023, 17:34
A 15-year-old boy has denied stabbing a teacher at a school in Gloucestershire.
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Jamie Sansom, a maths teacher at Tewkesbury Academy, suffered a stab wound during the incident at the school on Monday.
The 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in Cheltenham Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
He pleaded not guilty to maliciously wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
But he admitted possession of a bladed article on school premises.
He spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, address and enter his pleas.
The next hearing will take place on July 21, when a trial date is likely to be fixed. The teen suspect was remanded into custody.
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Mr Sansom, who has worked at the school since 2017, spoke out on Tuesday, noting he is "recovering well" following the stabbing, adding he hopes "to be well enough soon to visit the school to thank people in person."
Speaking outside the academy, Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable. Richard Ocone, said emergency services received two separate calls on Monday morning in relation to the incident.
Police were told that a male teacher had been stabbed in a corridor in the school, suffering a single stab wound.
The maths teacher added: "And if doctors give me the all-clear, I hope to be back in the classroom before the summer break.
"I'm due to move to a new school at the end of the year, and it would mean a lot to me to have the opportunity to say goodbye before I move on."
Anxious parents gathered outside the school throughout day following reports of a stabbing emerged.
Pupils were allowed to leave the school shortly before 2pm after the school was put into lockdown.
A spokesperson for Tewkesbury Academy at the time said: "Shortly before 9am today, staff were alerted to a serious incident which left a male member of staff in need of hospital treatment.
"School leaders immediately contacted police and placed the site into lockdown in line with our robust safeguarding procedures.
"We will now be following police guidance in how to ease the lockdown before releasing students to return home.
"No decision has yet been made on when the school will reopen, but we will be drawing up plans to support our students and staff in the wake of this incident.
"We are grateful to all our staff, parents and students for their patience and understanding during what has been a difficult morning, while our thoughts are with our injured colleague - we wish him a swift and successful recovery."
Reacting to the incident, Rishi Sunak's official spokesman said: "It is a live investigation, but the Prime Minister’s thoughts are with the individual who has been injured and with the staff and pupils of the school who would obviously be extremely concerned.
"He wants to thank the police and emergency services for their ongoing response."
Read More: Schoolboy arrested after 'teacher stabbed' at school in Gloucestershire
Parents and carers of pupils at the school were advised to go to Dobbies Garden Centre on Diamond Road to get assistance from police.
Parents were originally sent a message from the school at around 9.30 saying: "A message to all parents and carers: Tewkesbury Academy has gone into lockdown this morning.'Please do not attend the site or ring. We will make more information available shortly."
A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: "We were called at 09:08hrs to an incident in Tewkesbury on Monday 10 July. We sent three double-crewed land ambulances and two operations officers. We conveyed one patient by land to Gloucester Royal Hospital."
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Meanwhile, teachers at the nearby Tirlebrook Primary School said in a Facebook post that the school had also been locked down on police advice.
"An incident has occurred this morning at Tewkesbury Academy and we have been advised by Tewkesbury Police to put in place a lock down," they said.
"We have a police presence at school and are being fully supported at this time. We would like to reassure all families that children at Tirlebrook and Little Oaks are safe and well."
