A 17-year-old student named Thomas Wei Huang, originally from Malaysia, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for a brutal attack on two fellow students and a teacher at Blundell’s School in Tiverton, Devon. Following a High Court decision to lift a ban on his identification, details of the case have emerged. Huang was convicted of three counts of attempted murder after the incident that occurred in the early hours of June 9, 2023.

During the attack, Huang targeted two roommates aged 15 and 16 while they were asleep, inflicting serious injuries. He also assaulted housemaster Henry Roffe-Silvester, who sustained multiple head injuries. The court proceedings revealed that Huang had claimed he was sleepwalking at the time of the incident. However, this defense was rejected by the jury.

Sentencing took place at Exeter Crown Court in October, where Judge Mrs Justice Cutts addressed Huang directly, stating that he recognized the difference between right and wrong and had intended to kill. Despite acknowledging his actions against both boys and Mr. Roffe-Silvester, Huang pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity due to his alleged sleepwalking episodes.

The court heard evidence of Huang’s concerning interest in violence and violent media, as well as his struggles with significant stress related to academic pressures and personal issues leading up to the attack. On that night, he climbed onto the cabin-style beds where the boys were sleeping and launched his assault shortly before 1 AM.

Mr. Roffe-Silvester was alerted by strange noises from the boarding house and went to check on the situation. When he entered the room where the attack unfolded, he encountered Huang, who then struck him repeatedly with a hammer. The two boys were discovered shortly after with severe injuries including skull fractures and damage to internal organs. One boy has since been reported to have suffered permanent brain damage as a result of the attack.

While Mr. Roffe-Silvester endured six strikes to his head, he has since made a full recovery. The two students are facing long-term consequences from their traumatic experience but have no recollection of the events that transpired during the attack.