Boy accused in Norwich school stabbing won't testify at attempted murder trial
The 16-year-old denies attempted murder of a fellow student
A 16-year-old boy accused of the attempted murder of a girl at his school will not give evidence at his trial, jurors have been told.
The boy stabbed a 15-year-old girl in the back at Thorpe St Andrew School near Norwich on March 11, when he was aged 15, King’s Lynn Crown Court was told.
He denies attempted murder and is on trial.
Stephen Rose KC, defending, said that the youth defendant “will not be giving evidence” in the case.
The judge, Mr Justice Lickley, asked Mr Rose if the defendant had been advised that jurors “may draw such inferences as appear proper from his failure” to give evidence.
Mr Rose said that the defendant “has been so advised”.
Prosecution counsel Steven Ball earlier read a series of agreed facts to jurors, including that after the defendant’s arrest a kitchen knife with an 18cm-long blade and 12cm-long handle was found in a wooded area.
He told jurors the defendant had pleaded guilty to injuring the girl with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) and to having a kitchen knife in a public place, namely the school.
The judge said, after Mr Rose told jurors on Wednesday that the defendant will not be giving evidence, that the “evidence has now completed – there will be no more evidence”.
“The next stage of the case will be my written legal directions for you and then we move into speeches by counsel,” he said.
The trial continues.