A teenager who murdered teacher Ann Maguire can be named, a judge has ruled.
Will Cornick was 15 years old when he stabbed Maguire, 61, to death as she taught a class at Corpus Christi Catholic College, in Leeds, in April.
Cornick, now 16, admitted murder today and the judge at Leeds Crown Court, Justice Coulson, lifted an order banning his identification.
Earlier the court heard how Cornick had winked at a fellow student before stabbing Mrs Maguire.
Paul Greaney QC, prosecuting, told the court: “It is important that we should record that it is clear from the evidence that the parents of (the boy) are decent people and responsible parents.
“They are at a loss to understand how and why their son has turned out as he has and they have co-operated fully with the police and with the prosecution.
“It follows that this is not one of those cases in which a defendant’s actions may find a degree of explanation in his family circumstances. On the contrary, (the boy’s) family life was marked by love and support.”
Greaney added that that made the defendant’s actions “all the more inexplicable”.
He said Cornick was in Maguire’s Spanish class and his academic reports “had generally been positive”.
Greaney said there was nothing to indicate to the boy’s parents or teachers a risk of “homicidal violence”.
But, he said, pupils noticed disturbing aspects to his personality.
Cornick told other children that he hated Mrs Maguire and wanted her dead.
The prosecutor said: “Late on the night of Christmas Eve 2013 and into the early hours of Christmas Day, the defendant exchanged messages with a friend on Facebook.
“In those messages he spoke of ‘brutally killing’ Mrs Maguire and spending the rest of his life in jail so as not to have to worry about life or money.”
Outside court, the Maguire family solicitor issued a statement saying the teacher was “always putting others first”.
Follow Us