Staff praised as school attack teenager jailed

CCTV was played to the court which showed Louis Melotte attacking a student

A judge has praised the bravery of two school support workers who tackled a former student as he launched a "sustained attack" on staff and pupils with pieces of broken glass.

Louis Melotte, 17, struck a 12-year-old girl multiple times at The Birley Academy in Sheffield, before turning on a receptionist and youth worker when they intervened.

The teenager was found guilty of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent earlier this year and had previously pleaded guilty to taking a bladed article into a school.

He was ordered to serve five years in youth detention with an extended five year licence period at Sheffield Crown Court.

Security camera footage played to the court showed Melotte, who had hidden the glass up his sleeve, launch into a frenzy in the school's reception before being tackled.

The school was forced to go into lockdown during the incident which triggered a huge police response.

Louis Melotte was handed a five-year sentence in youth detention

One of the staff involved in the incident, Molly Bulmer, said in her impact statement she thought she was going to die as she tackled Melotte on 1 May.

Judge Jeremy Richardson KC said he would recommend her and receptionist Alicia Richards for commendations for their bravery during the incident.

"I think you should be terribly proud of yourself for what you did," he told Ms Bulmer.

"You didn't stand back, nor did your colleague. Not a bit of it. You went forward.

"You had no idea what he had in his hands."

An impact statement from Ms Richards was also read to the court in which she said: "The horror of it is the thought of what could have been. I thought I was going to die."

Ms Richards said the fact she did not receive, at the very least, life changing injures was "baffling to me".

The school was forced to go into lockdown during the incident

The judge said: "Without a thought for your own safety you went forward to protect school children."

Ms Bulmer, who works with children at risk of exclusion, said she had struggled to go back to the school after the incident and felt this meant the pupils she worked with were victims too.

Earlier this year, a jury heard how Melotte, of Jaunty Avenue, Sheffield, shared a series of posts on social media on the day of the attack.

One said: "Today is the day; a calling from the Lord Jesus Christ has been cast upon me.

"To do what God Almighty thinks is necessary."

The court heard how he smashed a glass at home before calmly walking the 20 minutes to the school with the pieces hidden up his sleeve.

As he launched his attack, he was heard to say: "I'm going to kill everyone."

Sentencing Melotte, Judge Richardson said he accepted the defendant was autistic and had mental health problems, including suffering from psychosis at the time of the incident.

He said this explained "up to a point" what happened, but added: "You knew what you were doing, of that there is no doubt."

Judge Richardson said protection of the public was paramount.

"Schools and colleges are places of learning. They are also places where those attending, whether pupils or staff, must feel safe. They must be kept safe."

An order protecting Melotte's identity was lifted at a previous hearing.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.