A WOMAN who took two knives to a York school with the intention of stabbing children there has been locked up indefinitely in a secure psychiatric unit.

Laura Dorothy Elizabeth Rush, 28, has tried to escape from Stockton Hall psychiatric hospital just outside the city, York Crown Court heard.

“She poses a serious risk to the public,” said the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris.

After reading reports from two psychiatrists, both of which recommended that she be confined in a secure psychiatric hospital, he made a hospital order under the Mental Health Act with a condition that she not be released without the consent of the Ministry of Justice, which includes the Parole Board.

Rush, of Amy Johnson Way, Clifton Moor, pleaded guilty to carrying a knife in public.

The nearest primary school to her home is Lakeside Primary School, Rawcliffe.

Brooke Morrison, prosecuting, said that police told Rush on April 14 last year, not to go to the school.

But at 1pm the next day, she rang police to tell them she was outside Lakeside Primary School.

They went to Rawcliffe and found her.

When they asked her, she said she had two knives on her.

One was a kitchen knife, the other was a craft knife.

“She asked the officers not to take them from her as she needed them,” said Ms Morrison.

They took her to hospital for a mental health assessment.

There she told police she had gone to the school “in order to stab children”.

She also smashed a window.

A diary that police found at her home included reference to her “harming others,” said Ms Morrison.

Rush did not actually get onto the school’s premises, York Crown Court heard.

Following the incident she was sent to Stockton Hall, the medium-secure psychiatric hospital at Stockton-on-the-Forest. She attended court via a video link to the hospital.

Forensic psychiatrist Dr Sean Jacobs, who is in charge of her medical case, told the court she had paranoid schizophrenia and requires an order under the Mental Health Act.

He said that it would be appropriate in her case to impose conditions so that doctors cannot by themselves release her should her medical condition improve to the point where she no longer required in-patient care, but must get permission from the Ministry of Justice.

The order lasts indefinitely.

He confirmed Stockton Hall did have a bed available for Rush’s use immediately.

The judge said the full diagnosis of the two doctors was that Rush has chronic paranoid schizophrenia and an unstable personality disorder.

He also read that Rush had said she wanted to escape from Stockton Hall and had attempted to breach its security more than once.

Rush’s barrister Chloe Farley said of the hospital order: “It appears to be in the best interests of the defendant.”

Rush had no previous convictions.