Elite school defends drugs policy

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One of Britain's top public schools has defended its drugs policy after criticism from a grieving father whose daughter was murdered by an ex-student.

Jason Braham said his daughter Lucy, 25, who was hacked to death by mentally ill drug abuser William Jaggs, had been "badly let down" by Harrow School.

The school, in north-west London, said it had a "very strict" drugs policy.

Jaggs, 23, was sent to Broadmoor security hospital indefinitely after admitting Miss Braham's manslaughter.

In a statement the school said: "In the course of the hearing it was confirmed that the defendant was not under the influence of drugs but had taken drugs while he was at university.

"It is stated in some of the newspapers that he took drugs whilst he was at Harrow.

"In fact, during that time the current school policy was in operation.

"If he had been suspected of any involvement with illegal drugs he would have been tested and required to leave if evidence suggested he had possessed or used an illegal drug."

Jaggs developed a serious drug habit while at Oxford University

Jaggs and Miss Braham were the children of masters at the north-west London school.

Mr Braham attacked the school for its failure to act against Jaggs's "bizarre behaviour" and said it allowed him to continue living there because he was the son of a master.

During the trial, which ended on Thursday, the Old Bailey was told that Jaggs was forced to take a year out from Oriel College, Oxford, to try to "sort himself out" after taking drugs.

He had gone home to Harrow but was stealing from the school and using his parents' bank cards to raise money for drugs, the court heard.

Jaggs's plea of not guilty of murder was accepted on the grounds of diminished responsibility through mental illness.

The court heard Jaggs stabbed Miss Braham more than 60 times and tried to saw her body in half. He then repeatedly stabbed himself in the chest.