Family of murdered teacher Ann Maguire come face to face with accused pupil in court
THE family of a teacher who was stabbed to death in her classroom came face to face with the 15-year-old boy accused of her murder in court today.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Leeds Youth Court accused of murdering Ann Maguire, 61, at Corpus Christi Catholic College this week.
Husband Donald Maguire stared straight at the youth as he was led into the glass-fronted dock.
Mr Maguire clutched the hands of his daughters, Emma and Kerry, throughout the two-minute hearing in the packed courtroom.
The defendant, whose right arm was in plaster, nodded to his own parents as he walked into court.
He spoke four times to say "yes" to questions from the clerk.
After court, the family arrived at the school to leave flowers. They held hands as they read some of the hundreds of tributes left by current and former students.
The Spanish teacher was months away from retiring when she was stabbed in front of pupils on Monday morning.
Devastated pupils described her as “the mother of the school”, where she had worked for over 40 years.
Her family today released a statement describing her as their "shining light".
In it they said: "Our beautiful Ann, our shining light, she brightened the world for so many of us.
"A loving wife, the best mother, a treasured sister, a true friend. This horrific happening has robbed us of all of this and so much more. We are devastated. Her selfless, genuine, caring nature will remain with us eternally.
"We are overwhelmed by the support, sympathy and kind tributes we have received, they have been a source of great comfort at this dark time.
"We would ask the media to kindly respect the privacy of family and friends in the coming weeks and months.
"Ann we will love you always, your loving family."
Police have confirmed that Mrs Maguire died from multiple stab wounds.
The head of the school, Steve Mort, yesterday described his immense pride at leading the students and staff as they tried to cope with the tragedy.
He singled out the children at the school for praise as he inspected the mass of floral tributes which have accumulated since the death.
He said: "I am immensely proud to be headteacher at Corpus Christi.
"Our children have proven themselves to be great ambassadors for the school. And I want to pay particular tribute to them and to the professionalism and dedication demonstrated by our staff at this very difficult time."
Scores of the children leaving the school yesterday afternoon stopped to read hundreds of messages pinned to a mass of floral tributes outside the gates.
One note said: "It's really not fair for it to end like this. I can't get it round my head that you have gone."
"Just this morning you was (sic) saying jokes and laughing.
"You were one of the best teachers I have ever had and this is hard for everyone."
Another said "You made our year 11 experience truly amazing. You taught us things we will never forget. If every tear we shed for you became a star above you'll stroll in heaven's garden full of everlasting love.
One simply said: "You make us into the people we are today."
Mrs Maguire raised her two nephews Daniel and Andrew Poole after the death of her sister from cancer aged just 35.
Daniel sat alongside his cousins and uncle in court this morning.
Mrs Maguire was said to have become a mother figure to the boys, who were just eight and six at the time of the tragedy in 1986.
One family member said: “Ann was a truly lovely woman - the kind of person who you never forget even if you only meet her once.
"The whole family - all of Ann's sisters and her brother - were a really great family. They all did very well at school.
"Her sister passed away in very sad circumstances several years ago and Ann came in and took on her two boys.
School mourns 'the best teacher we ever had'
"It was a very difficult time for the family but Ann stepped in and she brought them up with her two young girls - and she was a teacher as well. She was an angel."
Mrs Maguire's death is the first time a teacher has been stabbed to death in a British classroom, and the first killing of a teacher in a school since the 1996 Dunblane massacre.
She went to Corpus Christi as a student teacher and, last year, the school held a celebration of her 40 years' service.
This year, she moved to working four days a week ahead of her planned retirement in five months' time.
Mrs Maguire, who was head of Year 11 at the school for more than 10 years, lived in the Moortown area of Leeds with her husband, Donald, who is believed to be a retired maths teacher.
