Masked schoolboy, 16, GUILTY of attempted murder after stabbing girl, 15, in school toilets — with a kill list in his rucksack

Published 21 October 2026, 15:42

• Jurors at King's Lynn Crown Court took under four hours to convict the balaclava-clad attacker from Thorpe St Andrew High School
• Chilling notebook found in his bag detailed his attack plans — and named other potential victims
• 'A deeply shocking and deliberate attack,' said Detective Inspector Kerrie Atkin, with sentencing set for December 18

A teenager aged 16 has been convicted of attempted murder following a knife attack on a classmate in the toilets of his Norfolk school — his rucksack containing a notebook that laid out his plans and identified other intended targets by name.

The jury at King's Lynn Crown Court took just under four hours to return a unanimous guilty verdict on Wednesday 21 October 2026.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had previously entered guilty pleas to grievous bodily harm with intent and to possession of a bladed article.

Evidence presented to the court described how a 15-year-old girl suffered a stab wound to her back while using the toilets during school hours at Thorpe St Andrew High School on 11 March 2026.

The ambulance service alerted police to the school at 10.24am that morning after receiving reports that a pupil had suffered a stab wound and the attacker had left the premises.

The school entered an immediate lockdown and armed officers were deployed to the scene.

She suffered a knife wound to her back and was transported to hospital to receive treatment.

She was discharged the following day.

Early examination of CCTV recordings revealed a male suspect clad head to toe in black and masked with a balaclava, leading investigators to carry out wide-ranging searches across the school premises and the nearby area.

At 11.32am, officers found the boy in the local area.

On arrest, he was wearing an outfit identical to that of the suspect captured on CCTV.

Investigators searching his rucksack discovered a balaclava, hat, jacket and glove — all black — as well as a notebook that laid out his intended attack, among its contents the names of people he had targeted as potential victims.

As officers took him into custody, he revealed to them the location where he had discarded the knife from the attack.

Aged 15 when the offence took place, the boy faced charges of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article and was remanded into custody.

"This was a deeply shocking and deliberate attack which caused significant distress to the victim, her family, fellow pupils and the wider school community," said Detective Inspector Kerrie Atkin, the senior investigating officer.

"Thanks to the swift response of school staff, emergency services and attending officers, the suspect was quickly identified and arrested, and vital evidence was secured," she said.

"The jury's verdict reflects the strength of the evidence gathered during a thorough and complex investigation," Atkin added. "We hope today's outcome provides the victim and everyone affected with a sense of justice, and we commend the courage and resilience shown throughout these proceedings."

The boy will be sentenced on Friday 18 December 2026.