Teenager detained for 12 years minimum for attempted murder at private Blundell’s school in Devon
A teenager who attacked two sleeping students and a teacher with hammers at a private school in Devon has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 12 years after being found guilty of attempted murder.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was armed with three claw hammers and waited for the two boys to be asleep before attacking them at Blundell’s school in Tiverton, Exeter crown court heard.
He was wearing just his boxer shorts and used weapons he had collected to prepare for a “zombie apocalypse”, the court was told.
The only authority cited in the article for this autism diagnosis is the judge. A different article stated that the defendant’s attorney “told the court that [the defendant] had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder …” That’s far more trustworthy than the judge “saying” it.
Excluding that context is sloppy journalism.
And precisely zero that indicated the judge came to this conclusion themselves. It’s doesn’t make sense to assume that the judge would come to this conclusion themselves, so blaming the article for leaping to that conclusion doesn’t make much sense.