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Fight that led to Bailey Gwynne's death 'started over a biscuit' | Fight that led to Bailey Gwynne's death 'started over a biscuit' |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A court in Aberdeen has heard that the fight that led to the fatal stabbing of schoolboy Bailey Gwynne may have started over a biscuit. | A court in Aberdeen has heard that the fight that led to the fatal stabbing of schoolboy Bailey Gwynne may have started over a biscuit. |
One witness described how “name-calling” over Bailey’s refusal to give a biscuit to another boy in a group of year five pupils who had congregated in a school corridor at the end of the lunch hour escalated into a physical altercation. | One witness described how “name-calling” over Bailey’s refusal to give a biscuit to another boy in a group of year five pupils who had congregated in a school corridor at the end of the lunch hour escalated into a physical altercation. |
Earlier in the day, headteacher Anna Muirhead recounted how the 16-year-old boy accused of murdering Bailey last October became distraught, telling her: “That was my fault,” as they waited for the ambulance to arrive. | |
Bailey, 16, was attacked at Cults Academy, one of Scotland’s highest performing state schools, on 28 October 2015. He was rushed to hospital but died of his injuries at Aberdeen royal infirmary several hours later. | |
The witness, who described himself as friendly with both boys, struggled to relate the precise details of the events leading up to the stabbing from the witness box, where he gave evidence from his seat after breaking into sobs as he recalled the moment he saw the accused stab Bailey “in the tummy area”. | |
The 16-year-old witness was reminded by Ian Duguid QC, for the defence, of the statement he made to the police on the day of the killing: “[The accused] said something like ‘your mum’s fat’, then Bailey lashed out and grabbed hold of [him] and pushed him around. [The accused] started to defend himself and they started grappling.” | The 16-year-old witness was reminded by Ian Duguid QC, for the defence, of the statement he made to the police on the day of the killing: “[The accused] said something like ‘your mum’s fat’, then Bailey lashed out and grabbed hold of [him] and pushed him around. [The accused] started to defend himself and they started grappling.” |
The witness added that it was “uncommon” for physical fights to break out at the school. He also described how the accused had shown him a knuckleduster he had brought with him to school at some point in the year before the killing took place, but said he could not recall when exactly this had happened. | |
Alasdair Sharp, a computing science teacher, described coming upon the fight as he walked along a corridor known as “the street”, where pupils would gather in seating bays over lunchtime. | |
“I basically shouted ‘Oi!’ at them and asked them what they were doing. They broke apart and [Bailey] said: ‘He called my mother fat.’” | |
Sharp told the pair to follow him to the offices of the senior management team. “As I got towards the end of the street, I turned round to see Bailey staggering towards the wall with his arm up. [The accused] was a wee bit behind him and looked like he was going to help him.” It was then that Sharp noticed a trail of blood on the floor. | Sharp told the pair to follow him to the offices of the senior management team. “As I got towards the end of the street, I turned round to see Bailey staggering towards the wall with his arm up. [The accused] was a wee bit behind him and looked like he was going to help him.” It was then that Sharp noticed a trail of blood on the floor. |
Earlier on Tuesday, headteacher Anna Muirhead said she had spent the early part of the break helping to give out pre-ordered packed lunches from a trolley, then picked up a cup of soup for herself and walked back to her office. | |
Clasping her hands in front of her, she described how her office administrator had burst in, saying: “Anna, there’s been a fight. It looks serious. We’ve called an ambulance.” | Clasping her hands in front of her, she described how her office administrator had burst in, saying: “Anna, there’s been a fight. It looks serious. We’ve called an ambulance.” |
The families of both the accused and the victim sat at opposite ends of the public benches as the court heard how Bailey had collapsed under a TV screen used to display school announcements near the main entrance. | |
She described both the accused and Bailey as quiet boys. She said the accused, who listened intently throughout her testimony, had a group of friends and was “quiet, unassuming, he didn’t push himself forward, but he was not known to be in any trouble”. | |
According to Muirhead, Bailey began school life as a “bit of a loner”, having joined the first year of Cults Academy at the end of the school year. “But he soon found a friendship group, right up to fifth year,” she said. “He seemed to thrive.” | |
Muirhead also said there had been an occasion, some years prior to the events of 28 October, when she had to speak to the accused about the dangers of carrying a knife. | |
The law on media identification of children in criminal court cases in Scotland changed in September last year, to prohibit the identification of anyone under the age of 18 involved in court proceedings, whether as witness or accused. | |
The trial, before Lady Stacey, is expected to last for five days. | The trial, before Lady Stacey, is expected to last for five days. |
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