Pupil sentenced to life is ‘proud’ of killing teacher

A 16-year-old boy who stabbed a teacher to death in England in a "monumental act of cowardice and evil" has been warned he may never be released from prison by a judge who found his pride and lack of remorse over his actions "truly grotesque".

Mr Justice Coulson told Will Cornick, who stabbed Ann Maguire, 61, seven times from behind as she taught a class at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds in April, that he must serve at least 20 years of his life term in custody before he is considered for release.

However, he warned Cornick, who was 15 when he killed his Spanish teacher, that, having read about him, “it’s quite possible that day may never come”.

The court heard how the teenager held a deep hatred of Maguire and had planned her murder, telling many of his friends of his desire to kill her.

After the murder, he told experts he “couldn’t give a shit” and added: “Everything I’ve done is fine and dandy” and that he was “proud”. Cornick winked at another boy before he launched into a savage assault in front of a terrified class full of pupils. Despite the attack, the teacher managed to leave the classroom, pursued by the teen, until a colleague bundled her into a room and held the door shut. Leeds Crown Court heard how Cornick went back into the classroom, sat down and said “good times” in front of his traumatised classmates.

The teenager, who the court heard came from came from a loving supportive family, had also talked of attacking other school staff, including a pregnant woman “so as to kill her unborn child”.