Hammer-wielding public schoolboy who claimed he was sleepwalking during attack on fellow pupils sentenced
A public schoolboy who claimed he was sleepwalking when he tried to murder two students and a teacher in a hammer attack has been detained for life.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was dressed only in his boxer shorts when he repeatedly hit his dorm mates as they slept in one of the boarding houses at Blundell's School in Tiverton, Devon, in June last year.
He was armed with three claw hammers and had waited for the two boys to fall asleep before climbing up into the cabin-style beds and attacking them shortly before 1am, the court heard.
Both boys suffered skull fractures, and a prosecutor said the pair were "lucky to still be alive".
Maths teacher Henry Roffe-Silvester was asleep in his own quarters when he was awoken by noises coming from the boarding house and went to investigate.
He told a jury he saw a silhouetted figure standing in front of him in the room, who then turned and repeatedly hit him over the head with a hammer.
Another student heard Mr Roffe-Silvester shouting and swearing as he fled the bedroom and dialled 999 - believing there was an intruder.
The two boys were discovered in their beds a few minutes later.
The offender denied three counts of attempted murder - claiming he had been sleepwalking - but was found guilty in June by a jury following a 10-week trial at Exeter Crown Court.
At Exeter Crown Court on Friday, he was detained for life with a minimum term of 12 years.
The teenager, who was 16 at the time of the attack, had armed himself with three claw hammers and waited for the two boys to fall asleep in their cabin-style beds before attacking them shortly before 1am, the court heard.
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