Teenager who walked into Dudley school with foot-long machete and wooden cosh is given night-time curfew

The 13-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, took the foot-long machete and cosh into a secondary school in Dudley.

And the youth, who had no previous convictions, broke the law again less than a month later when he had a large blade in a residential street.

Sitting at Wolverhampton Youth Court, the schoolboy was handed a 12-month referral order for committing the ‘serious offences’.

He must also stick to a two-month curfew from 7pm until 7am daily.

But prosecutor Mr Kulbir Paul did not reveal details of the case in open court saying magistrates had been informed of the facts in a report.

Concerned staff called police after suspecting the teenager was armed while in the classroom just before 3.30pm on July 11.

Speaking at the time, the headteacher reported: “We called the police and the student was removed from the school.

"We have a zero tolerance policy on anyone bringing in weapons or possessing a weapon.”

The youth, who was supported in court by his mother, was then caught with a kitchen knife in a street just a couple of miles away from the school at 2.10pm on August 15.

Mr Gerry Vahey, defending, decided not to mitigate during the sentencing hearing and explain why the youngster committed the crimes after magistrates said they planned to give him a referral order.

The youngster’s arrest at school was highlighted by the force during a West Midlands Police blitz across the Black Country when scores of people were detained during a 24-hour crackdown.

Police cells filled up as suspected armed robbers, drug dealers and burglars were taken into custody, with officers posting updates in social media using the hashtag #wmpgoingallout

Officers patrolled the area from the crack of dawn, banging on the doors of alleged offenders and also using force drones to hunt for perpetrators.

The youth admitted possessing a knife blade or sharp pointed article in a public place and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon.

He was told to undertake 12-and-a-half hours of programmed contact as well as weapons awareness, violent offenders and managing emotions programmes.

Magistrates went on to tell the schoolboy he must take part in 36 hours of indirect reparation and engage with organisation The Switch Project.

They also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the weapons and told his mother to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.