A GIRL who developed a crush on a female teacher could be confined under a mental health order after she held her hostage in a classroom at knifepoint.
Only the courageous intervention of a male teacher at the school saved the woman maths teachers from potential serious harm, a court heard.
The girl, now aged 14 but 13 at the time of the incident in September 2007, suffers from severe Asperger's
Syndrome and had become fixated with her maths teacher, sending her poems and love letters.
A judge at Doncaster Crown Court is being asked to decide if the girl, who cannot be named because of her age, should be made the subject of a Mental Health Act order to detain her in a secure hospital for young offenders.
She has been held at the clinic in the North East under an interim order since earlier this year and is said to be making "good progress" but a psychiatrist says her Asperger's is severe.
The girl, who lived in Woodlands, has pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment, assault causing actual bodily harm, and possessing a bladed weapon on school premises.
Legal restrictions prevent The Star from naming the school where she was a pupil or the teachers involved in the terrifying ordeal during the morning break.
Prosecutor Paul O'Shea said the woman had taught the girl maths, for which she did not need a learning mentor.
He added: "But it seems plain she became fixated with the teacher and would follow her to lunch and describe her as her favourite teacher."
During Easter term last year the teacher found a gift on her desk in which the defendant wrote she loved her and was not joking. There followed a series of poems from the girl and notes in her school books saying 'I love you'.
The teacher became uncomfortable about the attention and the pupil was moved to a higher set in maths, after which the girl apologised for the notes.
But after last year's summer holiday the girl entered the maths classroom during morning break apparently "a little giddy" and produced a bread knife which she pointed at the teacher's chest.
Mr O'Shea said: "The teacher later described it as an unreal experience and she didn't scream of call out. She simply stood still and began to talk to the girl, who said 'they'll probably put me in prison and take me away from all this'. The teacher said she had been quite nice to her and the girl agreed with that."
Other pupils arrived outside the classroom and the girl tried to block
the teacher's exit while other members of staff were told of what was happening.
The male deputy head arrived and tried to talk his way into the classroom.
"He took the view that he had better take some action and barged his way in and there was a scuffle and the knife nicked his thumb, but he was able to wrest the knife and put it to the floor," said Mr O'Shea.
When police arrested her she told them: "I wanted to stab her and I've been planning it for a long time. I just wanted to kill her." She said she was not bothered if she went to prison for a long time.
Another knife was found hidden in her bed when her home was searched and the court was told she had a previous fixation on another teacher at her school.
"It seems that what upset her was that the maths teacher had told other people about the letters and gifts," added Mr O'Shea.
Judge Jacqueline Davies adjourned the case until next week to weigh up pre-sentence and psychiatric reports on the girl, who was returned to hospital under secure escort.
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