20 year minimum for schoolboy murderer of Leeds teacher Ann Maguire; ‘He may never be released’

A TEENAGE boy has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 20 years for murdering Leeds teacher Ann Maguire, and was warned by a judge that he may never be released.
Will Cornick was 15 years old when he stabbed to death Mrs Maguire, 61, as she taught a class at Corpus Christi Catholic College, in LeedsWill Cornick was 15 years old when he stabbed to death Mrs Maguire, 61, as she taught a class at Corpus Christi Catholic College, in Leeds
Will Cornick was 15 years old when he stabbed to death Mrs Maguire, 61, as she taught a class at Corpus Christi Catholic College, in Leeds

Will Cornick was 15 years old when he stabbed to death Mrs Maguire, 61, 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, Mr Justice Coulson, lifted an order banning his identification.

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A court heard he fatally stabbed Ann Maguire in front of her pupils and said after the attack “everything I have done is fine and dandy.”

Will Cornick was 15 years old when he stabbed to death Mrs Maguire, 61, as she taught a class at Corpus Christi Catholic College, in LeedsWill Cornick was 15 years old when he stabbed to death Mrs Maguire, 61, as she taught a class at Corpus Christi Catholic College, in Leeds
Will Cornick was 15 years old when he stabbed to death Mrs Maguire, 61, as she taught a class at Corpus Christi Catholic College, in Leeds

Cornick had fantasised about the killing Mrs Maguire for years before the attack at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds.

He was detained at Her Majesty’s pleasure after admitting murder. A judge told the youngster he will be detained in custody until at least 2034 before he can apply to the parole board for release.

The judge set the 20-year tariff - the minimum time the boy must serve in custody before he is released - but added that, having read about him, “it’s quite possible that day may never come”.

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He said Cornick’s pride in what he did and lack of remorse was “truly grotesque”.

Court sketch by Julia Quenzler of the teenager who murdered teacher Ann Maguire in the dock at Leeds Crown Court.Court sketch by Julia Quenzler of the teenager who murdered teacher Ann Maguire in the dock at Leeds Crown Court.
Court sketch by Julia Quenzler of the teenager who murdered teacher Ann Maguire in the dock at Leeds Crown Court.

Cornick remained seated while Mr Justice Coulson read his sentencing remarks.

He then stood and looked at the judge, with his head tilted to one side, as the sentence was passed. His expression did not change.

He did not appear to look at his parents, who were both visibly upset, as he was led from the dock.

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

Ann Maguire's daughters Kerry (left) and Emma arrive at court this morning. Picture: James HardistyAnn Maguire's daughters Kerry (left) and Emma arrive at court this morning. Picture: James Hardisty
Ann Maguire's daughters Kerry (left) and Emma arrive at court this morning. Picture: James Hardisty

Leeds Crown Court heard Cornick “harboured a deep-seated and irrational hatred” for Mrs Maguire.

Sentencing him, Mr Justice Coulson said: “The attack was relentless, brutal and cowardly.”

He added: “In every respect this was a long way from a killing on the spur of the moment.”

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“This was a killing which you deliberately chose to commit in public. You killed Mrs Maguire in front of of a classroom of 15 and 16 year olds. The damage to them is incalculable.

The classroom at Corpus Christi Catholic College, Neville Road, Leeds following the stabbing of Ann Maguire.The classroom at Corpus Christi Catholic College, Neville Road, Leeds following the stabbing of Ann Maguire.
The classroom at Corpus Christi Catholic College, Neville Road, Leeds following the stabbing of Ann Maguire.

“It was an attack on a woman in her sixties by a strapping teenager armed with a large knife.

“You have shown a total and chilling lack of remorse.”

Cornick showed a large kitchen knife to his friend and winked at him shortly before repeatedly stabbing Mrs Maguire in the neck and back as she leant over a desk helping a pupil with her home work.

After the attack, he turned to the rest of the class and said “Good times”. He also spoke of having an adrenaline rush.

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Cornick later told a psychiatrist: “I know the victim’s family will be upset but I don’t care. In my eyes, everything I’ve done is fine and dandy.”

Prosecutor Paul Greaney, QC, said: “To describe the attack as cowardly hardly does it justice.”

Don Maguire (second right) and Emma Maguire (right), the husband and daughter respectively of murdered school teacher Ann Maguire, arrive at Leeds Crown CourtDon Maguire (second right) and Emma Maguire (right), the husband and daughter respectively of murdered school teacher Ann Maguire, arrive at Leeds Crown Court
Don Maguire (second right) and Emma Maguire (right), the husband and daughter respectively of murdered school teacher Ann Maguire, arrive at Leeds Crown Court

The court heard the teenager had exchanged messages with a friend on Facebook months before the attack, which took place on April 28 this year.

Mr Greaney said: “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.

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“He spoke of claiming that he was hearing voices, something he was in fact later to assert, and, as a result, what he described as “comfy walls”.

He was, in other words, talking of killing Ann Maguire and then setting up a medical defence.”

Cornick pleaded guilty to murder today as he was due to go on trial over the killing

He stood in the dock of with his parents and answered guilty when the murder charge was put to him by the clerk of the court

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Spanish teacher Mrs Maguire was months away from retirement when she was attacked on April 28 this year.

She had taught at the school for more than 40 years.

After the killing, the teenager described to a psychiatrist how he planned the murder.

He said: “On the Thursday before, I’d decided homicide rather than suicide - I don’t know why.

“I’d had homicidal thoughts since February - be done with it.

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“At the time I did it, I wasn’t thinking about, it was a plan.

“I just knew I was going to kill her.

“On Sunday I thought I was going to get my other weapon. I’d considered a blunt object for example a stick, but this would be hard to hide and hard to do.

“I considered a gun but I couldn’t get one and i didn’t know where to start.

“I’d considered gravity. I’d thought about breaking a window and pushing her out but I couldn’t break the window.

“I decided it was going to be a knife.

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“I thought I was just going to go to school and wait for her lesson and do it.”

“I just wanted to get caught, that’s why I did it in school. I wanted to be in jail.”

Pupils rushed into the corridor screaming in panic after Mrs Maguire was stabbed.

Mrs Maguire ran to her colleague Susan Francis and told her “he’s stabbed me in the neck.”

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Mr Greaney described how the teenager continued chasing Mrs Maguire.

Mrs Francis pushed Mrs Maguire into a workroom and bravely held her foot against it stop the attacker getting in. Mr Greaney said: “His face was emotionless and he then walked away.”

Mrs Maguire lost consciousness soon after the stabbing and was pronounced dead when she arrived at Leeds General Infirmary.

The court heard the youngster also took a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey to school with him on the day of the attack as he wanted to celebrate afterwards.

Cornick also had plans to kill two other teachers.

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He also told a psychiatrist about the killing: “I wasn’t in shock, I was happy. I had a sense of pride. I still do.”

Psychiatrist Dr John Kent considered the teenager as of average intelligence and found no evidence of any psychotic or psychiatric illness.

Dr Kent said he did consider the teenager has having an adjustment disorder that had affected his personality. The doctor’s view was that he suffered “an emerging personality disorder with some marked psychopathic traits with a preoccupation with homicide, targeted enmity towards the victim and others and a possible fascination with knives.”

Mr Greaney said: “That his anger and hatred in fact became focused upon a person as decent and loved as Ann Maguire only makes this case the more tragic and goes to explain the outpouring of grief that there has been within the school and within the community more generally.

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“The court will be aware that the Town Hall of this city and the streets around it were packed for a memorial service for Mrs Maguire on September 24. Traffic was literally halted as he life was celebrated.”

The court was played recorded footage of Mrs Maguire’s pupils paying tributes to her.

Mr Maguire also read out victim impact statements on behalf of her husband Don, daughters Kerry and Emma-Jane, and other relatives.

Mr Maguire said: “Ann was a beautiful, vivacious, caring, generous human being. She was unique among her peers and family.”

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He added: “I can no longer be a dad. I fail every day. I need Ann. Part of our lives have been brutally taken. The centre of our lives is missing. Days are diminished.”

Emma Jane said: “Every morning I wake up and pray that this all a bad dream.

Just a split second of hope will quickly vanish and the horror of what happened sinks in - my mum was brutally murdered.”

Richard Wright, QC, mitigating said the killing had had “touched a nation” and devastated Mrs Maguire’s family.

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Speaking outside Leeds Crown Court, Chief Superintendent Paul Money described Mrs Maguire’s murder as a “cold-blooded, brutal and cowardly act”.

Mr Money said the murder was shocking and unprecedented.

He said the boy’s motive appeared to be an “inexplicable hatred of his teacher who was simply carrying out her duty”.

Mr Money thanked those who helped Mrs Maguire.

He said: “I also offer my thanks for the actions of a number of teaching staff who acted very bravely in the initial aftermath of this incident, comforting Ann, keeping her safe from more harm until the police arrived on the scene.”

Mrs Maguire’s death was the first time a teacher has been stabbed to death in a British classroom and the first killing of a teacher in a school since the 1996 Dunblane massacre.

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She first went to Corpus Christi as a student teacher and last year the school held a celebration of her 40 years of service.

This year, she had moved to working four days a week ahead of her planned retirement.

Mrs Maguire, who was head of Year 11 at the school for more than 10 years, lived in the Moortown area of Leeds with her husband, Don, who is a former maths teacher and landscape gardener.