Crime Solicitors

Bradford Crown Court has handed down an 11-year extended sentence to a 14-year-old boy who stabbed a teacher in a racially motivated attack.

BBC News reports that the teenager – who cannot be named for legal reasons – stabbed 50-year-old Vincent Uzomah in a classroom at Dixons Kings Academy in Bradford on 11 June – before logging on to Facebook to boast about the attack.

The 11-year extended sentence includes six years in detention and five years on licence. The teenager was told he would serve half of the six-year sentence in custody.

In court, he admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent – but denied attempted murder. The jury heard he had racially abused Mr Uzomah before stabbing him in the stomach with a kitchen knife he had brought into school, in what is thought to have been a disagreement about a mobile phone.

The jury was told that the boy had also discussed the proposed attack beforehand with a friend – and 20 minutes after stabbing the teacher, he posted an “update” about the attack on Facebook, which received 69 “likes”.

The prosecution told the court that the teenager had “taken a dislike” to Mr Uzomah in the seven weeks he had been working at the school – and had claimed he could not teach, using a racially abusive word to describe him.

In court, Judge Durham Hall QC described the teenager as “out of control” and a bully who “could not tolerate being told off”.
Speaking outside court, Mr Uzomah said:
“As a Christian, I have forgiven this boy who has inflicted this trauma and pain on to me and my family.
“It was, however, important for the law to run its course and for a strong message to be sent out – especially to kids of similar tendencies, that violence is never acceptable.
“Our prayer for him is that he will make use of the opportunities and support that will be provided to him, to become a changed person who will make a positive contribution to society.”
Detective Superintendant Simon Atkinson from West Yorkshire Police, said:
“This was a shocking and very serious attack on a man doing a job he loved – and he was lucky that the consequences were not more serious.
“His attacker showed no concern by fleeing the scene...he worryingly showed a further lack of remorse towards his victim by boasting about it on social media.”

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