Teacher tells of shock at threat to kill her baby
Woman who was pregnant gives evidence
A TEACHER has described how she was “absolutely shocked” when she found out the teenager who murdered Ann Maguire also talked about stabbing her to kill her unborn baby.
The inquest on Mrs Maguire has heard that Will Cornick told a number of pupils at Corpus Christi Catholic College, Leeds, that he was going to kill the Spanish teacher and also planned to attack her colleagues Andrew Kellett and Sinead Miley.
A jury at Wakefield Coroner’s Court heard how one boy said Cornick told him he was “going to stab Miss Miley in the stomach because she was pregnant and wanted to kill the baby instead”.
Yesterday, Ms Miley told the jury she was 34 weeks pregnant on the day Mrs Maguire was killed.
She said: “I was absolutely shocked when I realised what had happened with regard to Ann and what he was planning to do with me as well.”
The science teacher, who had also been a pupil at the school, told the court she had taught Cornick in a chemistry lesson in the period immediately before the Spanish lesson in which he stabbed Mrs Maguire on April 28, 2014.
Nick Armstrong, representing Mrs Maguire’s husband Don and their children, asked Ms Miley about how other pupils in the class had reported conversations with Cornick.
One girl told police he said: “I don’t want to hurt her, I want to kill her.”
The girl added that Cornick told a group of five or six children in the class he probably would not be allowed to go to the school prom. She said that when he was asked why, he replied: “You’ll probably get it in about two hours.”
She said: “I thought he was joking and I didn’t understand the joke.”
The pupil added Cornick claimed he had brought a bottle of alcohol with him “to celebrate because I would deserve it afterwards”.
She told police: “He was always saying stuff like he would kill her – talking about death and giving people cancer and stuff like that.”
According to Mr Armstrong, the girl also said Cornick talked about “unpleasant things about what he wanted to do to pregnant women”.
Mr Armstrong asked Ms Miley whether she heard any of these exchanges in her class.
The teacher said: “I didn’t hear it. If I had heard that, I was a pregnant woman, I would have done something about it.”
Mr Armstrong asked Ms Miley why she thought none of the students reported to staff what Cornick had said, saying this was the “stand-out” issue in the inquest.
She replied that she thought the children believed it was just “bravado” from Cornick.
Ms Miley said: “If these children thought something terrible like that was going to happen they would speak to an adult about it.”
She said Mrs Maguire had taught her when she was a girl and described her as “absolutely amazing”. The case continues. HEMLINES ARE down and sleeves are long, signalling a new era of modesty and cautious optimism at Marks & Spencer.
The High Street retailer, which began life as a Leeds Market stall in 1884, showcased its new vision yesterday at the London press preview of its spring/summer 2018 collections.
These twice-yearly media events provide an important insight into the mood behind the future strategy of the company. Judging by the fashions revealed this week, that mood is one that sees a return to good oldfashioned values of sense, hard work, fair prices and quality – very Yorkshire.
For its new collections, Marks & Spencer seems to have decided to play to its traditional strengths once more by offering wearable, dependable, decidedly demure styles, with just a little bit of M&S extra-specialness thrown in.
The core customer – Mrs M&S – should be delighted by the sensible long-sleeved dresses. This autumn’s £45, navy and silver, midi-length, long flutesleeved, high-neck Constellation dress has been selling at a rate of one every 90 seconds. The design team has clearly noted that this is a winning formula and offered more of the same.
Versatility is another key ingredient that the M&S customer ought to appreciate, adding value and lowering price per wear by creating pieces that double up for day and night, work, weekend and going out. Witness the minimalist cropped olive green leather jacket, slightly steep at £249, but then it is fully reversible in navy leather. There is also a swimsuit that doubles as a body for day and evening wear, saving space in your carry-on suitcase.
One fashion trend that M&S does still follow is the concept of “see-now buy-now”, offering next-season styles available to buy now. New partywear features a Nigella-style printed silk kimono, embellished knits, jacquard skirts and exquisitely printed dresses.
The Rosie lingerie collection continues to grow, underlining that underwear remains a key weapon in protecting the M&S brand reputation as a provider of style, comfort and technology. Which means bralettes can now provide support up to a G cup.