Hammer attack pupil worried about zombies - court

A witness gave first aid at the scene to two injured pupils

A public school pupil was preparing for a "zombie apocalypse" before carrying out a hammer attack, a court has heard.

Jurors at Exeter Crown Court were shown a video interview with a pupil of Blundell’s School in Tiverton who went into a dormitory where two boys had been attacked on 9 June last year.

When he asked why the 17-year-old pupil had carried out the attack, during which a teacher was also injured, the pupil said the defendant told him he had the hammers in case of a zombie outbreak.

The defendant, who cannot be named due to his age, denies three counts of attempted murder.

The jury has been told two boys aged 15 and 16 sleeping in the dormitory and housemaster Henry Roffe-Silvester were left with serious head injuries by the attack.

The defence team has admitted the defendant - who was 16 at the time of the incident - did carry out the attack, but said he had been sleepwalking at the time and was "not functioning" so denied it was attempted murder.

Witness removed defendant

The witness said he went to the dormitory to see what had happened after he heard loud noises.

After helping give first aid to the injured boys, the witness said he was asked by Mr Roffe-Silvester to remove the defendant.

He said he sat with the defendant in the matron's room and asked for background on the attack.

"The attacker said he had been watching a lot of horror movies and had the hammers to prepare for a zombie apocalypse," the witness said.

He added he tried to get the attacker to relax and asked if he had been stressed before the incident.

The witness said: "He said he had been preparing for a zombie apocalypse and that was why he had the weapons and a Swiss Army knife in the room and the hammers.

"He said he needed them to protect himself."

The trial continues.