Mental disorder of Ann Maguire’s killer ‘may take years to be known’

Will Cornick, 16, will serve a minimum of 20 years in detention after admitting the brutal killing of Mrs Maguire, 61, as she taught a Spanish class at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds in April.

Cornick, who was 15 at the time of the attack, was described by a doctor as having “an emerging personality disorder with some marked psychopathic traits with a preoccupation with homicide”.

During the hearing, there was a suggestion a change in Cornick’s personality occurred three years ago, around the same time that he was diagnosed with diabetes, meaning his plans to join the Army had unravelled.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, Wakefield-based consultant clinical child psychologist Carol Burniston said the reasons why Cornick killed Mrs Maguire were a mystery and that diagnosing a personality disorder was “incredibly complex”.

She said: “Psychiatrists tend to be reluctant to do so in those under the age of 18, because once you have been given that label, it is something that you have to live with forever.”

Dr Burniston added: “Treatment for personality disorders is also complex and in the case of someone like Will Cornick it will take months, possibly years, before we know the full extent of his mental state.”

Mr Justice Coulson warned Cornick that he might never be released from prison as he passed sentence at Leeds Crown Court.

But Penelope Gibbs, who chairs the Standing Committee for Youth Justice (SCYJ) umbrella group of charities and campaign groups, said the sentence was too long and that more emphasis should be placed on rehabilitation.

She said: “I don’t think a child – and he was a child – should get a life sentence because they are young, their brain is not mature and a life sentence is indeterminate, it could last forever. I think no other western European country would impose a life sentence on a teenager.

“Do we want him to be rehabilitated? Do we want him to leave prison the lowest risk possible of causing more harm to others? Yes. How long do we need to achieve that, rather than how long do we need to punish him for.

“We do need to punish him but I think to punish him for longer than he’s been alive for is disproportionate.”

Ms Gibbs said the sentence should not exceed the length of his life so far.

She added: “He needs to be in prison, he needs to be rehabilitated so he’s no longer a danger to himself and others but a minimum of 20 years is too long.

“You’ve got to take both things: he needs to be safe to be released but the key thing is about rehabilitation.”

Part of Cornick’s rehabilitation could see him return to a classroom during his sentence.

Brian Hamilton, chair of the Manchester College: University and College Union prison branch, said Cornick could be taught in a class of around eight people with a focus on basic literacy and numeracy skills and vocational training to ensure prisoners are employable on their release.

The Leeds Safeguarding Children Board said yesterday that an inquiry has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the murder of Mrs Maguire.

• Can Ann Maguire’s killer ever be rehabilitated?