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A Perth teenager who armed himself with a 32cm knife and stormed into a school classroom in June had wanted to stab a girl he fancied.
The 15-year-old student, who yesterday pleaded guilty in Perth Children's Court to threatening the classmate with a knife in a northern suburbs high school, was attracted to the girl but barely knew her.
Prosecutor Clare Stanyer told the court: "He stated (to the police) that he intended to stab the victim and then stab himself."
The case bears striking similarities to the stabbing murder in 1991 of Vicky Groves at Churchlands Senior High School.
The boy also pleaded guilty to one count of being armed or pretending to be armed in a way that would cause fear.
The conviction follows that on Friday of an Esperance schoolboy, also aged 15, who brought a loaded double-barrel shotgun to school last Thursday. His lawyer said he "snapped" after repeated bullying.
The court was told yesterday that on June 21, the Perth teenager took a knife - which had a 19cm blade - to school and brandished it about before chasing a group of children into the classroom.
When in the classroom the boy singled out the girl and thrust the knife at her.
She grabbed a chair and used it to defend herself until a teacher arrived at the classroom and disarmed the boy.
At the time of the incident it was reported that the teacher had to hit the boy's wrist to force him to drop the knife.
_The West Australian _ understands that other staff members then grabbed the knife and the boy was taken to the principal's office, where he remained until police arrived. He was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital for an assessment.
The teenager's lawyer, John Collier, said his client did not know the girl very well and that there was no relationship between the two.
Mr Collier said: "He states that he had some sort of attraction for her."
The court was told that the teenager had no criminal record and that his actions were an aberration.
Mr Collier said the boy was no longer attending the school and that his family had since sought psychiatric help for him.
The teenager will be sentenced on September 7 by Children's Court Magistrate Andree Horrigan after psychiatric and psychological reports have been completed.
At the time of the incident an Education Department spokesman said the boy had been suspended and students involved in the incident were offered counselling.
He was remanded into the custody of his parents with a condition that he not approach the girl.
On Friday, the Esperance teenager pleaded guilty in Kalgoorlie Children's Court to being armed in public so as to cause fear, possession of a firearm without being a holder of a firearm licence and unlicensed possession of ammunition. He will be sentenced on September 17.
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