<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Colleagues of a teacher who "snapped" and stabbed a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/school" rel="" target="" title="school"><span>school</span></a><span> principal say they are still reeling from the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/attacks" rel="" target="" title="attack"><span>attack</span></a><span>, as details of his "catastrophic" mental health spiral emerged.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kim Ramchen, 37, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to three charges of intentionally causing injury, assault with a weapon and unlawful assault, over the stabbing in December.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Keysborough College teacher armed himself with a 10-centimetre knife from the Melbourne school's kitchen and set upon principal Aaron Sykes after being told his contract would not be renewed.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>NATIONAL:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/isis-brides-return-australia/ae0c5676-c9ec-46e2-9d27-dfce7e46db01" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Some 'ISIS brides' will be arrested upon arrival in Australia, AFP confirms</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As prosecutor JJ Jassar read the summary to Dandenong Magistrates Court, Ramchen sobbed into his hand over the video link.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jassar said Ramchen entered the principal's office aggressively and aimed for Sykes' neck, with the pair struggling to the ground.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Teacher Emma Pascoe, who was in a room next door, ran over after hearing screaming and saw Ramchen standing over Sykes, swinging the knife.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/kim-ramchen-snapped-inside-teachers-knife-attack-on-principal/78fa888a-f665-4d35-b704-1c7eb5745139" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She said she still experiences flashbacks to the incident and turned to alcohol to drown them out.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The sound of students messing around and screaming 'help, help' still sets me off into panic mode," she said in a statement read to the court.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ramchen walked off after being pulled away by assistant principal Matthew Sloan and the school was placed into lockdown.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But he returned, armed with a larger chef's knife, holding the blade to the principal's face.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ramchen was tackled to the ground and subdued by several staff before emergency crews arrived.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>School nurse Stacy Bender, who treated Sykes, recalled the look of fear in his face.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/craig-silvey-australian-author-to-have-book-permanently-pulled-from-public-schools/b109da34-d317-455b-8906-4b6d17b4d018" target="_blank"><strong><span>Aussie children's</span></strong></a><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/craig-silvey-australian-author-to-have-book-permanently-pulled-from-public-schools/b109da34-d317-455b-8906-4b6d17b4d018" target="_blank"><strong><span>author's books pulled from schools after guilty plea</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This has changed how I see a school environment, a place that should be safe now feels more vulnerable," Bender said in a statement to the court.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ramchen said during a police interview he "mentally snapped" and intended to just incapacitate the principal.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"My blood just went to my head and I became incredibly angry and emotional," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Defence barrister Amelia Beech said Ramchen's conduct was the culmination of substantial difficulties that had plagued his life.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He is the son of former </span><em><span>Price Is Right</span></em><span> host Jacqui Ramchen who disappeared in 1992, with his late father charged over her killing until a magistrate found there was not enough evidence to commit him to trial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ramchen had taken on a parental role within the family after his mother disappeared and his father died from cancer when he was 14.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The lasting effects of his tragic and dysfunctional childhood, the enormous challenges of adulthood, stressful circumstances of parenthood and the debilitating effects of undiagnosed mental ill health all collided in a spectacular fashion," Beech said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ramchen has been diagnosed with autism, depressive disorders and anxious distress, which forensic psychiatrist Danny Sullivan found was "causally connected" to the offending, she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At the time, the teacher's marriage was falling apart and he was unable to understand why his contract was not renewed, the defence added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The offence has been committed in the context of a ... catastrophic mental health crisis," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ramchen will be sentenced on Monday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Lifeline 13 11 14</span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>beyondblue 1300 22 4636</span></strong></div></div>