A secondary school teacher allegedly launched a frenzied, double-knife attack on his principal, motivated by rage over his employment contract not being renewed, a Melbourne court has heard.
Frenzied Attack as School Day Ended
Kim Ramchen, a 37-year-old from Mulgrave, is accused of attacking Keysborough Secondary School principal Aaron Sykes, 43, in a violent assault as the school day finished on Tuesday. The Dandenong Magistrates' Court was presented with harrowing allegations of the incident on Wednesday.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Chris Marlow told the court that Ramchen left his classroom around 3pm and proceeded to the school kitchen. There, he allegedly selected a small kitchen knife, roughly four inches long, before heading to the principal's office.
Heroic Intervention Halts First Assault
The court heard that Ramchen allegedly attacked Mr Sykes, inflicting a slash wound to his face and a stab wound to his forearm. The situation escalated further when Ramchen reportedly held the knife to the principal's throat.
Assistant principal Matt Sloan heard screaming and rushed into the office to find Ramchen kneeling on top of Mr Sykes with the blade at his throat. In a brave act, Mr Sloan grabbed Ramchen's wrist, pulled him off, and forced him to drop the weapon.
Fearing for student safety, Mr Sloan then initiated an immediate school lockdown. While attending to the injured principal, he lost sight of Ramchen, who allegedly returned to the kitchen.
Second Knife and Final Tackle
Ramchen then re-entered the principal's office armed with a second, larger kitchen knife measuring 12cm in length. Police allege he again launched at Mr Sykes, holding the knife close to his face.
Mr Sloan, with the help of other staff members, tackled Ramchen a second time, eventually wrestling the larger knife away. This struggle caused injuries to Ramchen's own hand. The weapon was thrown from the office and Ramchen was pinned to the ground until police arrived.
Contract Dispute Triggered 'Snap'
In a subsequent police interview, Ramchen allegedly stated he 'snapped' upon learning the day before that his teaching contract would not be extended. He claimed he had gone to the principal's office to discuss his employment but became enraged when Mr Sykes dismissed him and closed the door.
"I've never been so angry in my life," Ramchen allegedly told officers. He described his own actions as 'incredibly violent' and admitted he was unable to control his emotions. When asked about remorse, he reportedly stated "it was just lucky people came in."
Sergeant Marlow said Ramchen made full admissions and told police he had wanted to 'completely incapacitate the principal'.
Charges and Bail Hearing
Kim Ramchen has been charged with multiple offences including:
- Recklessly endangering life
- Intentionally causing injury
- Two counts of unlawful assault
- Assault with a weapon
Principal Aaron Sykes was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and has since been released. The court heard Ramchen had no prior criminal history and may have been suffering from an undiagnosed mental health issue. His lawyer is seeking bail, and the hearing continues.
