Student spared jail for stabbing could return to Oxford

A MEDICAL student who was spared jail because of her “extraordinary” talent is believed to have exploited a loophole in the Oxford University disciplinary process to avoid expulsion.

Lavinia Woodward, a 24-year-old Christ Church student who stabbed her former boyfriend in the leg, has been accused of attempting to “set the terms” on whether she will be allowed to return to Oxford.

Miss Woodward, who was handed a 10-month jail sentence suspended for 18 months, has voluntarily suspended her studies for the duration of her sentence. This means that a staff panel that would decide whether she should be expelled cannot make its ruling until she states her desire to return.

It was originally thought that Miss Woodward would leave the university voluntarily, with her legal counsel, James Sturman QC, earlier stating that she was “reluctant” to return for fear of being recognised.

But her decision to prolong the uncertainty has prompted concern among some at the university, who fear she may be playing for time in order to improve her chances of readmission.

It comes a month after Miss Woodward was allowed to walk free from court, after a judge ruled that a custodial sentence would be too harsh for a woman of her ability.

Speaking to this newspaper, a senior source at Oxford suggested that Ms Woodward may be trying to “set the terms” of the process, in the hope that she is looked on more favourably once her sentence is completed. Solicitors for Ms Woodward told The Daily Telegraph: “0ur client has no comment to make … about her personal life … The disciplinary process at Oxford is for the proctors. It is not for our client to dictate it… In due course that process will no doubt be concluded.”

Additional reporting by Tony Diver