Unmasked ...boy who stabbed Bailey, 16, to death
THE identity of the baby-faced killer convicted of stabbing teenager Bailey Gwynne to death at a school has been revealed for the first time.
Bailey, 16, died following a row with the fellow pupil over a packet of biscuits during lunch break at Cults Academy, Aberdeen, in October 2015.
The killer’s identity could not be revealed during the trial as he was only 16. But now 18, he has been named as Daniel Stroud.
Bailey was knifed in the chest and died soon after arriving at the city hospital for treatment. When police arrived at the school, they spoke to Stroud in the deputy headteacher’s office, where he asked if the other pupil was dead, telling a constable: ‘It was just a moment of anger.’
The teenager went on trial accused of murder at the High Court in Aberdeen the following year but was found guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide. He was locked up for nine years. New legislation brought in weeks before the fatal attack prevented the media from identifying criminals under the age of 18.
Stroud turned 18 yesterday. He is currently the youngest person behind bars in Scotland serving time for culpable homicide.
He lived with his mother four miles from the school in Peterculter and told police he had never ‘fitted in’. Shortly before the killing he had taken a part-time job at McDonald’s and was saving to buy a motorbike. The internet history on his laptop included searches for ‘illegal knives’, ‘difference between homicide and murder’ and ‘how to get rid of someone annoying’.
An independent inquiry was ordered to investigate the circumstances surrounding Bailey’s death at the school which is in the Cults suburb, one of the wealthiest areas of the country.
Led by child protection expert Andrew Lowe, the inquiry found that the teenager’s death could have been prevented. Mr Lowe concluded that classmates could have informed teachers that Stroud, who was identified as Child A in the document, had brought weapons on to the school grounds before the attack.
His report made several recommendations, including tightening up of the policing of weapons in Scottish schools, with searches of pupils carried out. However, the Scottish Government carried out its own assessments and deemed that new search powers for teachers were unnecessary.
But Mr Lowe said his report had been heavily redacted by Aberdeen City Council. He said: ‘In this particular case, just about half of the report was reduced to black ink. You couldn’t read it, and I did get confirmation that the Scottish Government and the deputy first minister had not seen the unredacted copy before making decisions on my recommendations.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We were not provided with an unredacted copy of the report by Aberdeen City Council and focused on the recommendations directed to us.’
Liam Kerr, Scottish Conservative justice spokesman, said: ‘While it is right that the killer is identified now that he has turned 18, this will undoubtedly be a very difficult time for Bailey’s family and friends as media attention returns to this tragic case.’
‘It was just a moment of anger’