Boy, 15, has charge upgraded after maths teacher ‘stabbed in school corridor’

A teenager accused of stabbing a teacher in a school corridor now faces a more serious charge, a court has been told. The 15-year-old, who cannot legally be identified due to his age, is now charged with section 18 wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Jamie Sansom. During a brief hearing at Gloucestershire Magistrates’ Court in Cheltenham on Monday, the boy pleaded not guilty to the new charge, which replaces a previous allegation of attempted wounding with intent. At a previous hearing, he admitted having a blade. You have told me you are not guilty of the allegation of assault District Judge Nicholas Wattam James McKenna, defending, did not apply for bail and opposed attempts by the prosecution to have the case sent to the crown court due to the seriousness of the allegations. District Judge Nicholas Wattam said the case should remain in the youth court and remanded the defendant into custody to await trial. He fixed a case management hearing for August 18. Addressing the youth, he said: ‘You have told me you are not guilty of the allegation of assault. There is going to be a trial but I cannot give you a trial date. ‘The trial date is likely to be set on August 18 when you need to come back to court. In the meantime, you will be remanded into custody.’ Mr Sansom suffered a single stab wound at Tewkesbury Academy in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, on July 10. The academy was locked down and two neighbouring schools were also asked to shut their doors as a ‘precaution’. Mr Sansom, who has taught maths at the school since 2017, was discharged from hospital on the same day he was allegedly attacked and said he was ‘recovering well’.