A JUDGE has said good local schools are having their reputations blighted by pupils using knives.

His Honour Judge Martyn Levett KC sentenced a 15-year-old on Tuesday for knife offences he committed at a Colchester school in October last year.

He said: “Using knives blights the reputation of good local schools.

“I have watched the CCTV of this incident and it captures the moment when the teenager ran up behind his victim and tried to stab him on the shoulder, and was prevented from doing so by the teacher intervening."

He told the defendant: “You did make some damaging confessions at the scene and said there were two sides to you: a good side and a bad side.

“What I have witnessed is that bad side."

Judge Levett added he was legally unable to pass a sentence greater than a detention order because the offence committed when the boy was 14.

He said: “I am unable to pass a detention and training order because parliament prevents me from doing so.”

He concluded: “I have given you this sentence because I am concerned about your current limitations and your significant and complex learning needs and neurodiversity.

“I have decided that a youth rehabilitation order was the most appropriate and constructive sentence.”