School hammer attack scene like a 'horror movie', court told

The scene of a hammer attack at a Devon boarding school looked like the set of a "horror movie", a court has heard.

A student from Blundell's School, Tiverton, told Exeter Crown Court about the aftermath of the incident on 9 June.

The witness said three hammers were found in the dormitory where two other pupils and a teacher were attacked.

The defendant, who is 17 and cannot be named due to his age, denies three charges of attempted murder.

The witness, a 17-year-old student, told the court the scene after the attack was "confused and chaotic".

The three people attacked - pupils aged 15 and 16 and teacher Henry Roffe-Silvester - all suffered serious head injuries, the court was told.

Defendant was 'dreaming'

The teenage witness said the defendant told him he had bought a hammer because it was cheap.

He said the defendant, who was 16 at the time of the incident, was not an aggressive boy but was not very sociable and never showed much emotion or expression.

The witness said that after the attack, the defendant said: "Sorry, sorry, I was dreaming."

Barristers representing the defendant have admitted he carried out the attack, but claimed he was sleepwalking at the time, so denied it was attempted murder.

Blood-soaked room

Jurors also heard from Emily Roffe-Silvester, the wife of the injured teacher, who said she also went to the dormitory in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

Mrs Roffe-Silvester said the room had "blood everywhere" and she praised another pupil who called 999, calling him a "remarkable young man".

Defence barrister Kerim Fuad KC called the same pupil a "complete superstar" who was a "credit to the school" for his "quick and decisive thoughts and actions".

The trial continues.

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