A jury has been discharged in the case of a 14-year-old girl, charged with stabbing two teachers and a fellow student in South Wales, due to what the judge referred to as “a great irregularity.”

The girl, who was 13 at the time of the incident, admitted to bringing a bladed fishing multi-tool to her school and using it to stab the two adults and the student, yet she maintains that she had no intent to kill. Judge Paul Thomas KC made the call to discharge the jury on Wednesday, just one day after they began their deliberations.

“An irretrievable compromise has affected our ability to address this matter,” Judge Thomas stated. “With the greatest reluctance, I have to discharge this jury.” He expressed regret over this situation, noting that the girl will now face a new trial scheduled for January 27, 2025.

The court learned that the stabbings occurred during a morning break at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, last April. It was reported that the assistant headteacher, Fiona Elias, informed the girl that she could not enter a hall where she wished to join her friends. According to the prosecution, the girl reacted aggressively, threatening, “I’m going to kill you. I’m going to fucking kill you,” before launching the attack on Elias. A second teacher, Liz Hopkin, who intervened, was also stabbed in the neck and had to be airlifted to a hospital.

Both teachers reported to police that they feared for their lives during the assaults. Witnesses described the girl’s scream as “like something out of a horror movie.” She allegedly threatened another student, saying, “I’m going to fucking kill you, you bitch,” before stabbing her as well.

In her testimony, the girl portrayed herself as “troubled” and recounted her memory of the events as a blur. She maintained that she did not intend to kill anyone, acknowledging her actions but denying any desire to end lives. When asked about her feelings regarding the memory of the attacks, she responded, “It doesn’t feel like I did it,” before expressing feelings of “terrible, guilty,” adding, “I would do anything to go back.”