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Armed with knives
and Jack Daniel’s…
how student plotted
to kill 3 teachers

TEACHER Ann Maguire’s teenage killer also plotted to murder two other tutors —
one of whom was pregnant, a court heard.

Twisted Will Cornick, 16, spent three years thinking about 61-year-old Ann’s
murder — the first in a British classroom.

He went to school on April 28 with two knives and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s
whiskey — with which he aimed to celebrate her death.

Cornick — then only 15 — hid a 21cm kitchen knife and a smaller lock knife in
his rucksack.

He used the larger blade to stab mother-of-two Ann seven times in the back
and neck in front of horrified classmates.

And he later bragged to a psychiatrist: “In my eyes, everything I have done is
fine and dandy.

Will Cornick

Press Association
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“I have a sense of pride (after the killing). I still do.

“I know the family will be upset but I don’t care.”

Cornick had shown some fellow pupils the weapons during the morning break at
Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds. He said he would use them on Ann.

Prosecutor Paul Greaney QC told Leeds crown court: “Many did not take him
seriously but those that did, he threatened.

“Indeed when he showed some a knife and was told by them to calm down, he said
that he would ‘f***ing kill them’ if they revealed his plan.

Don Maguire (R) and his daughters Emma (front left) and Kerry (front centre), the family of murdered teacher Ann Maguire, stand outside Leeds Crown Court

Getty Images
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“Indeed he told one pupil that he had brought a bottle of alcohol with him in
order to celebrate afterwards.

“Moreover, Cornick said his threat extended to (head of year 11) Andrew
Kellett and pregnant teacher Sinead Miley.

“He added that he wanted to stab Miss Miley in the stomach so as to kill her
unborn child.”

The court heard that Cornick winked at a pal as he left an adjoining room to
pounce on Spanish teacher Ann.

He entered her classroom and walked up behind her as she was leaning over
looking at another pupil’s work.

Mr Greaney said: “Cornick began to stab her in the neck and back.

“Ann Maguire was 5ft 2in in height and of slim build.

“The defendant was a full foot taller and was armed with a large kitchen
knife.

Ann Maguire

Press Association
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“To describe his attack as cowardly hardly does it justice. Mrs Maguire fled,
but William Cornick pursued her, stabbing her as she sought to escape him.”

Teacher Susan Francis heard her colleague’s screams and dashed into a corridor
as Ann ran towards her.

She pushed Ann into a nearby workroom as Cornick chased after her — then held
 her foot against the door to stop him getting in.

Mr Greaney added: “She was able to see William Cornick through the glass panel
in the door. His face was emotionless — then he walked away.

“Paramedics attended, but on the way to the ambulance Mrs Maguire stopped
breathing and never regained consciousness.”

She died about two hours after the stabbing with her husband Don, 64, a
retired maths teacher, at her side.

Cornick returned to his class and declared “Good times”. He sat down and told
one shocked pupil: “Pity she didn’t die”.

Two other members of staff confronted Cornick who held up his arms in
surrender and was grabbed.

Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds

7

Police then arrived. Mr Greaney said: “They were struck by his calmness and
air of normality.

“One of the most disturbing aspects of an extremely disturbing case is that
William Cornick not only lacks remorse but is proud of what he did.”

Cornick admitted murder and was caged indefinitely.

Judge Mr Justice Coulson ordered that he serve at least 20 years and branded
his lack of remorse “truly grotesque”.

He said: “It will be for the parole board to decide if you can ever be freed.

“It is possible that day may never come.”

As Cornick was led to the cells, Ann’s family — who sat just feet away —
embraced.

In a victim impact statement husband Don described the killing as “a
monumental act of cowardice and evil”.

He added: “The callous cruelty displayed defies comprehension.”

School Head Teacher Steven Mort

Ross Parry / SWNS Group
7

In another statement, he, daughters Kerry, 33, and Emma, 31, and nephews
Daniel and Andrew said: “We look to the future with a fragile hope.”

They praised Ann – who had a 40-year teaching career — as a “generous spirit
who led by example, always putting others first, especially young people”.

Head teacher Steve Mort yesterday praised the response of his staff and pupils
following the attack. He added: “We continue to remember Ann and her family
in our prayers.”

A pupil, who cannot be named, told The Sun Cornick snapped in February after
Ann banned him from a school bowling trip for failing to do his homework.

He went on the trip regardless but vowed revenge for humiliating him. The
pupil said: “He said he wanted her to die.”

When quizzed by psychiatrists Cornick declared killing was “a route of
survival”. He said: “It was kill her or suicide.”

He told them the murder “did not live up to what I would have liked to have
done”

Mind of a monster

Will Cornick

7

A SERIES of interviews with forensic psychiatrists Dr John Kent and Dr
Cesar Lengua revealed twisted Cornick had been having murderous thoughts for
months before he stabbed Ann — and that he was “happy” and “proud” to have
killed her.

In a shocking outburst on Facebook, he said she “deserves more than death”.

Meetings with Dr John Kent:

“On the Thursday before, I’d decided homicide rather than suicide — I don’t
know why. I’d had homicidal thoughts since February — be done with it.

“At the time I did it, I wasn’t thinking about it, it was a plan. I just knew
I was going to kill her. On the Sunday I thought I was going to get my other
weapon.

“I’d considered a blunt object, for example a stick, but this would be hard to
hide and hard to do. I considered a gun but I couldn’t get one and I didn’t
know where to start.

“I’d considered gravity. I’d thought about breaking a window and pushing her
out but I couldn’t break the window.

“I decided on the Sunday it was going to be a knife, I thought I was just
going to go to school and wait for her lesson and do it.

“I wanted to get caught, that’s why I did it in school. I wanted to be in
jail.”

He tells Dr Kent he felt he had no future after diabetes left his dream of
joining the Army in tatters.

“The killing was always on my mind since Year 8; the thought of homicide,
murdering her. I was always telling my friends the bitch was terrible.

“I said I was going to do other stuff but I never got the chance, other
murders. It was a triple homicide. What I have done, I couldn’t give a s**t.”

Cornick told Dr Kent that while he knew killing was “uncivilised”, it was
necessary for survival.

“I wasn’t in shock, I was happy. I had a sense of pride. I still do.

“It’s kill or be killed. I did not have a choice. It was kill her or suicide.
In my eyes, everything I’ve done is fine and dandy.”

Meeting with Dr Cesar Lengua:

“The killing did not live up to what I would like to have done.”

On Facebook to pal:

“The one absolute f***ing bitch that deserves more than death, more than pain,
torture and more than anything we can understand.”

To teachers as he was led away:

“Can you be careful? My knuckle hurts and my hand is bleeding.”

Dad did not look as son left dock

Will Cornick's facebook page

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By TOM BARNES

CORNICK’S father could not bear to look at him as the teenager was led away to
begin his sentence.

Devastated council worker Ian, 51, sat with ex-wife Michelle, a 48-year-old
human resources manager, behind their son in the dock.

But the young killer showed no emotion during the hearing.

He shuffled in his seat occasionally — but for much of the time just stared
blankly at the floor.

Cornick, whose parents split when he was five, was clever and took five GCSEs
a year early, passing them all.

But he started self-harming after being diagnosed with diabetes when he was
12.

He feared the condition would stop him fulfilling his dream of joining the
Army.

Prosecutor Paul Greaney said there was nothing to indicate to Cornick’s
parents or teachers a risk of “homicidal violence”.

He had the Grim Reaper as his Facebook picture.

Mr Greaney said Cornick had exchanged Facebook messages with a friend last
Christmas Eve.

He told the court: “In those messages he spoke of ‘brutally killing’ Mrs
Maguire and spending the rest of his life in jail so as not to have to worry
about life or money.”

A ‘brutal coward’

A POLICE chief described Ann’s murder as a “cold-blooded, brutal and cowardly
act”.

Chief Supt Paul Money said the killing was shocking and unprecedented.

Cornick’s motive appeared to be an “inexplicable hatred of his teacher who was
simply carrying out her duty”.

Mr Money praised the teaching staff for acting “very bravely in the
aftermath”.