Teenager charged with attempted murder of Leeds teacher at school in Bradford

A teenager has been charged with attempted murder over the stabbing of a Leeds teacher at a school in Bradford.
Dixons Kings Academy in BradfordDixons Kings Academy in Bradford
Dixons Kings Academy in Bradford

The 14-year-old boy is due to appear at Bradford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday accused of attacking Vincent Uzomah at the Dixons Kings Academy.

Mr Uzomah, 50, is continuing to recover after being stabbed in the stomach at the start of the school day on Thursday.

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Martin Goldman, chief prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has been working closely with West Yorkshire Police in connection with this case.

“Having carefully considered all of the evidence presented to us, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to charge a 14-year-old youth with attempted murder.

“Accordingly I have today authorised West Yorkshire Police to charge the youth with this offence and he will first appear at Bradford Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.

“This defendant has now been charged with a serious criminal offence and has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

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Supply teacher Vincent Uzomah, 50, was about to start a science lesson when he was stabbed. The attack was witnessed by a number of his pupils.

Dixons Kings Academy in BradfordDixons Kings Academy in Bradford
Dixons Kings Academy in Bradford

The teacher, who had been working at the school for a few weeks, was taken to hospital and was last night said to be in a stable, non-life threatening condition with his family by his bedside.

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The attack led to a six-hour hunt for a 14-year-old boy who was later arrested in the city centre.

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Speaking outside the school gates yesterday, the executive principal of the Dixons Academy group in Bradford, Nick Weller, said: “It happened right at the beginning of the school day and there were some students who witnessed it. A few students witnessed it - in a classroom.

“Those students have been interviewed by the police. Obviously, it’s a very shocking thing for them to see. The general atmosphere in the school is very calm, quite orderly, we’re trying to keep to normal routines as much as possible.”

Mr Weller said there was nothing in school that suggested the attack was going to be launched.

He confirmed the suspect had been at the school for a year.

Earlier, parent Shakeel Ahmed, 39, said he got a text from his 14-year-old son saying there had been a stabbing.

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“My son texted my wife and said ‘child stabbed teacher’ - that’s it,” said Mr Ahmed. “He then sent a text to say everybody’s all right.”

Mr Ahmed said: “I came to see my son and see if he’s all right but the police wouldn’t let me in. The teachers said he’s OK.”

He said the school was “good” and did not have discipline problems.

The school is about 15 miles away from Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds, where veteran teacher Ann Maguire was stabbed to death by a student just over a year ago.

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Dixons Kings Academy - then called the Kings Science Academy - started in 2011 as one of the first free schools in England and was visited by Prime Minister David Cameron in 2012, but it was beset by financial controversy and the former head and other staff members were arrested. Their prosecution is ongoing.

The Dixons Academy Trust, which runs seven other schools in Bradford, took over the school in January.

A spokesman for the Seven Casting agency said Mr Uzomah was an extra on their books and had worked on soaps including Emmerdale and Coronation Street.

He said: “Vincent is a very nice, reliable, bubbly guy. He’s genuine and easy to get on with.

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“He’s worked on a few of the northern soaps and has done things in Emmerdale and Coronation Street.

“He’s always very reliable and courteous.”

The spokesman said staff at the agency were shocked when they heard about the stabbing.

“It was a shock when we first heard about it in the news and then to find out it was Vincent was even more shocking. It’s absolutely crazy but thankfully it sounds like he is going to be OK,” he said.

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