The trial of a 14-year-old girl accused of trying to murder two teachers and a pupil in a school stabbing has collapsed due to a “great irregularity in the jury”.
Teachers Fiona Elias and Liz Hopkin and a pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, were taken to hospital after being stabbed on 24 April.
The girl, who cannot be named due to her age, admitted the triple stabbing but denied attempted murder.
The jury at Swansea Crown Court began deliberations on Tuesday but were discharged on Wednesday morning, with Judge Paul Thomas KC saying the trial had been “irretrievably compromised”.
A retrial is due to begin on 27 January.
Mr Thomas said the collapse of this trial was due to “a great irregularity in the jury which we all agree has irretrievably compromised our ability to consider this matter”.
He added: “With the greatest of possible reluctance, I will have to discharge this jury.
“[It is] profound and very unsatisfactory to discharge the jury, especially for the 14-year-old who will have to stand trial again.”
This article was originally published at www.bbc.com
