25 years since nursery attack
Lisa Potts was just 21 when she saved youngsters from machete-wielding attacker
AHORRIFIC eight-minute assault on a group of nursery children at the hands of a machete-wielding schizophrenic has been recalled 25 years on.
But from the violence emerged a story of heroism as a nursery teacher placed herself between terrified youngsters and the frenzied knifeman.
Paranoid schizophrenic Horrett Campbell, then aged 32, had armed himself with the blade and leapt a fence at St Luke’s Church of England Infant School, in Wolverhampton on July 8, 1996.
The children had been celebrating the end of the school year when the knifeman launched his frenzied attack, lashing out at the screaming three and four-year-olds.
Campbell, whose home overlooked the Blakenhall nursery, had been planning his attack for months – believing the children had been ‘talking about him’ and parents had ‘given information to police’.
The youngsters were inches from tragedy – only saved by a quick-thinking nursery nurse’s decision to hide them under her long skirt.
That nursery nurse – 21-year-old Lisa Potts – was left with horrific injuries to her arms, head and back after being slashed with the machete while bravely shielding the children.
Despite her heroic efforts, another three women and three children were injured.
Francesca Quintyne, then aged four, was slashed across the face, while classmate Ahmed Malik, three, suffered a fractured skull and elbow.
Thirty hours later, crowds watched as police in full riot gear emerged from a nearby tower block with Campbell draped in a blue blanket.
He was found in a cupboard in the corridor of the ninth floor of Villiers House.
Neighbours described Campbell as
What happened in that playground is part of my life.
a ‘quiet man’ who spent hours tinkering with his orange Volvo.
A jury at Stafford Crown Court would later find him guilty of seven counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Campbell’s attack – just four months after the Dunblane massacre – sparked tensions in the community and shock across the nation.
There were demands for swift government action to strengthen school security and ‘high risk’ schools were encouraged to issue staff with personal attack alarms, install CCTV, employ security guards and consider grilles on windows.
Lisa was left with severe scarring, depression and post traumatic stress disorder following the attack, which effectively ended her teaching career.
Lisa Potts
She was awarded the George Medal for protecting the children and fought for five years for adequate compensation.
She was eventually awarded a £68,000 payout – an amount widely criticised as inadequate.
In 2013, Lisa qualified as a nurse from Wolverhampton University.
She completed a three-year Diploma of Higher Education in Nursing and accepted her certificate at a ceremony in September that year.
The mother of two sons said at the time: “Graduating is all about what I have achieved through hard work and study over the last three years.
“It’s been great to have been a mature learner. I have to say juggling study with two kids and a busy life with the charity work as well was tough. I found it very hard to start with but I’m so glad that I did it – it’s been a great experience.
“Nursing is hard work, especially having to balance the theory and the practical in terms of going out there and doing the job in a hospital.
“I did a range of nursing placements at New Cross in A&E, cancer wards, care for the elderly and cardio. It gives you a really good grounding and I have to say I loved every single placement I did.
“What happened in that playground is part of my life.
“I’m very open about it if people ask me.
“But at the same time that was 17 years ago and you look forward to new opportunities, and I have continued on a great journey which has been fantastic.”
In 2016, Lisa said she had ‘forgiven’ Campbell.
“I’ve forgiven him now for what he did. I had to move on,” she said.
“As time went on, I felt sorry for him. I’ve learned a lot about mental health over the years and I feel sad that he went unnoticed in the community and didn’t get help or treatment.”