Friday 12 June 2015

Schoolboy, 14, was arrested after supply teacher was stabbed in classroom

Vincent Uzomah is being treated in hospital after being stabbed in a classroom

This is the moment a 14-year-old schoolboy was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a science teacher was stabbed in a classroom in front of horrified pupils. 
The teenager was taken into custody in Bradford City Centre after a large manhunt following the incident at Dixons Kings Academy.
Vincent Uzomah, a married father-of-two, remains in hospital after being stabbed in the stomach in an alleged row over a mobile phone before a science class at around 9am. 

The 50-year-old Nigerian national had only joined the school four weeks before being stabbed by a youngster with what police believe was a kitchen knife. 
Video footage of the moment the teenager was arrested was obtained by The Daily Mirror this evening. 
In it, the youngster is seen being led away by uniformed police officers after being told he is being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. A friend can be heard arguing with police before being told to step back. 
He had earlier fled the school within seconds of the attack as emergency services brought Mr Uzomah to hospital where he remains in a stable condition. 
Teachers later appealed for the boy to hand himself in and claimed he had brought a knife with him to school. 
It has since emerged the child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been at the school for around a year and that there have been previous problems with his behaviour. 
Described by police as Asian with short dark hair, he was said to have fled the school in his uniform shortly after the incident which took place at 8.50am. 
Pupils in the Year 10 science class who witnessed the attack claimed it was the result of a row over a mobile phone. 
One 13-year-old girl said she saw Mr Uzomah 'hunched' over in a corridor with blood pouring from his stomach. 
'We were in the classroom next door and it was really hectic and then we heard that a teacher had been stabbed by a student.' 
Another said: 'I heard the boy stabbed the teacher because he took his phone off him. I was disgusted.'   
Following the incident this morning neighbours of Mr Uzomah, who lives with his wife Uduak Imeh-Uzomah and their children Samuel, 12, and Glory, 11, in a £150,000 semi-detached house in Leeds, described him as being friendly and a 'lovely guy'. 
The teacher worked across Bradford as a supply teacher to fund his own higher education, spending his spare time working towards a PhD at the University of Salford. 
Last night friends said he had spoken in the past of pupils 'naughty' behaviour.   
His next-door neighbour described him as a 'lovely' guy who is an asset to the community. 
'We have spoken about how naughty the children were,' he added.  
A woman who lives on the same street  said: 'I saw Vincent leave this morning as I have been outside all day decorating. 
'I often see him and his wife and children and they are all very friendly. I know that he is a teacher and I think he teaches all over.'  
Police arrested the teenager six hours after he fled the school this afternoon after releasing an appeal for his whereabouts. 
Speaking after his arrest this afternoon, Detective Superintendent Simon Atkinson, of West YorkshirePolice said: 'We have just arrested a 14-year-old male in connection with this offence and he is currently in custody on suspicion of attempted murder.' 
Another member of staff had called 999 after Mr Uzomah was stabbed in the stomach in the classroom shortly before his science lesson had begun.   
Mr Atkinson said the teacher's injuries were not thought to be life-threatening and said his family were with him at his hospital bedside.
He also raised concerns for the children who may have seen the attack, and said they were being helped by specially trained officers. 
'We're speaking with the pupils there to see what they actually saw,' Mr Atkinson said.
'We've got a welfare issue to make sure we manage as well since they potentially witnessed something horrendous.'
The detective would not comment on whether police had recovered a knife or what help staff and pupils gave to the injured teacher. But he said the incident happened in a science class.  
Superintendent Damien Miller said he wanted to offer his assurance to the people of Lidget Green, which he described as a close knit-community.
The attack took place at the start of the school day in a classroom and in front of a number of the boy's fellow pupils, headteacher Neil Miley and executive principal Nick Weller confirmed in a press conference outside the school gates earlier this afternoon.
Mr 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.' 
Mr Weller said the teacher had been knifed 'in the stomach area', and said another member of staff was at the hospital with him.
'The general atmosphere in school is very calm,' he said. 'We're trying to keep things as normal as possible.'
'This is a one off incident, totally out of the blue.' 
Mr Weller added: 'The site is secure. This is the first report of a weapon in school. I think it's been brought in today.'  
Appealing to the boy prior to the arrest, Mr Weller said: 'The best thing for him to do is to give himself in and report to a police station because he will be caught and the sooner that he does that, probably the better for him.'
Mr Weller said that there had not been any incidents at the school which may have triggered the attack.
Mr Weller said: 'The police are looking into the lead up to this incident, there was nothing in school that led up to it - there may have been other people outside the school who maybe knew something.
Neil Miley, the school's principal, said: 'My thoughts are with the children and staff. The school is making sure that staff work together as a community. 

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