A schoolgirl was left battling for her life yesterday after allegedly being stabbed repeatedly by a former boyfriend for failing to return his text messages.
Chloe West, 14, was rescued by teachers and fellow students who pinned the attacker to the ground outside Ridgewood High School, in Stourbridge, West Midlands.
Last night Ella Hill, 14, described how she was walking to school with her friend Chloe when the attacker approached them in a car.
She said: “He came up behind us and stopped the car and started yelling, ‘Why haven’t you been talking to me’.”
“Chloe replied to him, ‘What are you doing here, why are you here?’ ,” she said.
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“He was walking towards us with a purpose, he looked really threatening and angry, then he grabbed Chloe in a headlock and started hitting her in the face.
“I jumped on him and started trying to pull him back, but he threw me off and on to the floor and then he got Chloe on the floor and then got on top of her and started to stab her.
“He was stabbing her in the face and the neck, the teachers saw what was happening and they ran over to us.
“They were trying to keep him on the floor while she was crying and screaming and we were all quickly taken inside. There was blood all over her. I couldn’t recognise her face.”
Chloe was stabbed nine times in the face, neck and body at 8.45am and was last night said to be in a stable condition after being airlifted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
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The attacker, named locally as Sam Tomlinson, is understood to have known Chloe through a local stables, was arrested at the scene and was being questioned by detectives.
Superintendent Stewart Johnson, of West Midlands Police, said: “We’ve certainly received information this morning that the two people involved know each other.
“I would just like to pay tribute to the very brave individuals who, without too much thought for their own safety, intervened at the time of the incident this morning.”
Mr Johnson said that the incident was not directly linked to the “life of the school” and, although several pupils were witnesses, it did not take place on school premises.
“I understand there were a number of pupils arriving for school this morning who witnessed the incident,” he said. “Clearly that would be traumatic for them and the education authority will be looking after their interests.”
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He praised the quick thinking of the teachers, parents and staff, who detained the attacker. “I would just like to pay tribute to the very brave individuals, who without too much thought for their own safety intervened at the time,” said the officer.
“They showed tremendous bravery in intervening and actually detaining the suspect, and in my opinion, based on medical evidence, they clearly prevented far more serious injuries to Chloe.”
One pupil said: “Her ex was angry because he was texting her and she wasn’t replying.” Clive Nutting, the head teacher of the school, said: “Police were called to the school today before 8.50am after one of the pupils was attacked on their way to school. The school is closed for the day and the matter is now in the hands of police.”
Chloe’s parents, Rosemary and Nigel West, were believed to be at her hospital bedside last night. Neighbours described them as being distraught.