Two teenage victims had their skulls smashed in after the boy, 16, attacked them in their beds at Blundell’s School in Tiverton, Devon, leaving them with life-changing injuries, a court heard.
The 17-year-old is accused of attacking two boys while they slept in their dorm at Blundell’s School in Tiverton, Devon, leaving them in life-threatening conditions. The boys, aged 16 and 15 at the time of the attack in June last year, managed to survive the horrific incident, but they will never fully recover from their injuries. The 38-year-old teacher, Henry Roffe-Silvester, was the housemaster of the dorm at the time and was also a victim of the attack. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then tried to fatally attack Mr. Roffe-Silvester, who was rushed to the hospital but was later discharged.
Police arrested the defendant, who was 16 at the time of the incident, at the scene shortly after midnight on June 9 last year. He is charged with three counts of attempted murder. Prosecutor James Dawes KC told Exeter Crown Court that the two victims were fast asleep at the time of the attack, as the defendant carried out his violent plan with a hammer. The attack had been brewing in the mind of the defendant for some time, and he executed it while the victims were sleeping in their own beds.
The blows were so severe that pieces of their skull were driven into their brains. The first victim suffered not only severe head injuries but also damage to his spleen and a punctured lung from a broken rib. Miraculously, both victims survived the attack due to the quick actions of another student who made a 999 call, the skilled paramedics, doctors, and surgeons who saved their lives. However, the long-term effects of the attack have left both boys permanently damaged, with cognitive functions impaired and no memories of the attacks.
The court heard that both victims went to bed on the night of the attack, only to wake up days later in the hospital with no memory of the incident. The investigation has reconstructed the event from their injuries, the scene, and witnesses. Despite the severity of the injuries and the horrific scene, the victims have no recollection of the traumatic events. The trial continues as the teenager denies three counts of attempted murder.
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