Because Junior Knife Wielding Psychopaths Need Understanding Too!

An absolutely extraordinary statement from the defence summing up in the Bailey Gwynne murder trial:

Duguid had cautioned the jury not to be “blinded by a prejudice for people who carry knives” .

*speechless*

He isn’t the only one with that lack of awareness of just who is the victim here, either:

Giving evidence on the first day of the trial, the school’s headteacher, Anna Muirhead, recounted how the 16-year-old became distraught as Bailey lay dying in the school corridor, telling her: “That was my fault,” as they waited for the ambulance to arrive.

Muirhead told the jury: “He was sitting side on to the seat and slightly curled up. He was obviously distraught or upset. I said to him: ‘What’s up?’. He indicated with his head and his hand round the corner: ‘That was me, that was my fault’.”

Actually, a lot was your fault, wasn’t it? Since he was a known knife carrier who should have been excluded:

...the quiet, unassuming youngster who appeared to scare nobody was responsible for one of the most horrifying crimes ever perpetrated in Scotland by one school pupil on another.

And his violent, unpredictable behaviour had caused concern for years. As long ago as 2007, the then seven-year-old had attacked another primary school pupil with rocks in a lane. The victim was taken to hospital and his alarmed parents contacted police and the school.

Chillingly, they predicted their son's attacker would one day commit an even more violent crime.

The events of October 28 last year proved them right.

…

As early as his first or second year at secondary school, head teacher Anna Muirhead spoke to him individually about knives, emphasising that he must never bring them into the premises. And yet, four years later, the boy was routinely taking a knife to school.

How many more stories are we going to read where the authorities are forewarned, take little or no action, and yet are absolved of all blame when the inevitable happens?

This time Scotland and a pupil, last time Leeds and a teacher.

It needs to stop. There must be consequences for those who are paid to take responsibility, yet fail to do so.