Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Teacher arrested for attempted murder

544 replies

Bottomofthebarrel · 02/03/2024 01:59

This week a teacher at my DD’s secondary school was arrested for attempted murder. He stabbed a woman in the head and neck in broad daylight, and I believe he was only unsuccessful in killing her because other people intervened. She is in a critical condition in hospital, so he could be looking at a murder charge. This has all been in the news, including the BBC.

This man was teaching my own child until very recently. She was given an after school detention by him for being very slightly late to his lesson, and the detention was just him and her sat in a room. That sends shivers down my spine now. I can’t get the whole thing out of my head.

This must be so disturbing for all the kids at the school. I feel that the school are potentially going to struggle more with behaviour control from now on - this man was employed as one of their role models so I can’t help but feel they’ve lost the moral high ground. Not to mention the effect on those who are in their exam years and are now minus a subject teacher.

How the fuck does someone like that become a teacher? I must say in the last 9 years since my DC started secondary, I’ve come across a few - all of them male - teachers who have got my back up and seem to be definite ‘power tripping know it all’ types, and not particularly bright to boot. There’s another male teacher in another local school who was in the news, having to pay £200,000 damages to his neighbour after a childish bullying campaign which went on for years.

Is this the best we can do? I get teaching isn’t the most attractive profession, but it actually terrifies me that these people are supposed to be guiding and leading our children, sometimes on a one to one basis. My worry is that with the current shortage of teachers, and desperation to fill vacancies, the standards are going to sink even lower.

This isn’t a general teacher bashing thread, there are many truly wonderful ones out there, and I know it’s an incredibly difficult job. Just feeling very shaken by what has happened this week. My DD really didn’t like this man and I assumed it was her being a stroppy teen, now I feel awful for not taking her seriously.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
CormorantStrikesBack · 27/04/2025 22:04

so he pleaded guilty to gbh with intent. So he admits intending to hurt her but not to kill. He can still get life imprisonment for this and I hope he does.

CornishTiger · 27/04/2025 21:44

The defence argued that the alleged didn’t take the knife to the scene but the victim did. Something she denies.

Clearly not enough evidence to prove he did take it. Possibly why not attempted murder either.

i hope he gets a hefty sentence though.

Zone2NorthLondon · 27/04/2025 21:26

shipman, letby,couzens all had responsible jobs that (rightly) expect certain standards and conduct, by their actions they all brought their respective professions into disrepute.

The chill of Shipman has impacted medical education and practice

All professions recruit from society, and society is flawed. Human beings are flawed. There is no absolutely reliable way to screen out dysfunctional candidates. Sure, there are rigorous selections but ultimately cannot stop humans being violent or dysfunctional and depraved

I completely understand and share your revulsion, esp as in your case he had contact with your daughter. Understandly this has had an impact

Butteredtoast55 · 27/04/2025 21:09

NotTerfNorCis · 27/04/2025 20:49

So this man has been found not guilty of attempted murder or possessing a knife.

How on earth is he not guilty on the knife charge?!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgpxlm972jo

That judgement is absolutely insane.

NotTerfNorCis · 27/04/2025 20:49

So this man has been found not guilty of attempted murder or possessing a knife.

How on earth is he not guilty on the knife charge?!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgpxlm972jo

PenguinLord · 01/06/2024 08:48

Bottomofthebarrel · 02/03/2024 02:16

I don’t mean the remaining staff SHOULD lose the moral high ground, of course they haven’t done anything wrong and I’m sure are horrendously affected by what’s happened. However it’s the perfect comeback for a lippy kid though isn’t it, if they get in trouble, whatever they do isn’t going to be as bad as what Mr Jones did. They were being told to respect this man until Monday, then he finished work for the day and promptly tried to kill someone.

Should they not respect all teachers just in case someone else tries to commit murder in future?

hellsBells246 · 02/03/2024 20:35

GreenRaven · 02/03/2024 02:10

Teachers are human beings. Teachers can have mental break downs. Teachers can be criminals. What sort of screening do you think will weed out a criminal before they have committed a crime? What do you mean by "the school has lost the moral high ground"? That makes no sense at all. The other teachers in the school did not commit this crime. I am sure you are upset, but I expect his colleagues will be far more so, and have far more reasons to be than you. No need to add to it by sweeping statements about them losing the moral high ground, as if that even makes any sense.

This.

You only mention two teachers who have been inappropriate.

All teachers have to pass the DBS screening - there is no screening for future crimes!

It must be a shock, but your dd was in very little danger.

Limesodaagain · 02/03/2024 19:43

cardibach · 02/03/2024 17:25

Can you show where anyone has brayed or taken down the OP? Where she’s been silenced or chaired down (how is that even possible on a forum - anyone can post and be heard)? Her child wasn’t at risk. He isn’t a child murderer.
Is it shocking if someone you know tries to kill someone? Of course.
Is the fact he’s a teacher in any way relevant to his crime? No.

Show quote history

Well those words quoted aren’t my words- but I was agreeing with the sentiment that there are a lot of over the top angry reactions to the OP that could have been expressed in a more reasonable way.
I’m normally the first to defend teachers … but I’m also a parent and I know I’d be upset if my children had teachers who were then arrested for a serious crime. ( I wouldn’t blame the school but I would expect the school to check that all vetting procedures had been correctly followed)

Piggywaspushed · 02/03/2024 18:03

And some really arrogant, sexist men who dominated conversations, interrupted, acted like they were God's gift.

That's just men : not specific to teaching.

IsthisthereallifeIsthisjustfantasy · 02/03/2024 17:54

It is upsetting when something like this happens. One of my lecturers went to jail while I was at uni, right before our exams, and it was quite upsetting.

Also, I've come across some right cases in my career as a teacher. One pathological liar springs to mind. And some really arrogant, sexist men who dominated conversations, interrupted, acted like they were God's gift. As well as some teachers who were unstable, clearly having a really difficult homelife/ mental health issues but naturally it impacted on how they were at school. Also just the lazy kind, who seem to coast by on charisma and barely every do any work.

Many wonderful people, as well, of course!

Lighteningstrikes · 02/03/2024 17:50

As shocking as it is YADBU.

Statistics consist of real people in all different walks of life.

You are also being unreasonable that it is always men, as it most definitely isn’t.

Anotherparkingthread · 02/03/2024 17:33

lifebeginsaftercoffee · 02/03/2024 17:30

Drinking is legal so unless he's turning up to work drunk then there's nothing the school can do about it, and unless they start forcing staff to take drugs tests, proving ketamine use would be next to impossible.

Show quote history

Thank you. That's exactly my thoughts on it.

lifebeginsaftercoffee · 02/03/2024 17:30

crumblingschools · 02/03/2024 17:21

If there is a safeguarding issue it’s not being a snitch

Drinking is legal so unless he's turning up to work drunk then there's nothing the school can do about it, and unless they start forcing staff to take drugs tests, proving ketamine use would be next to impossible.

cardibach · 02/03/2024 17:27

Newchapterbeckons · 02/03/2024 12:06

Aren’t you dismayed and demoralised by the posts on here demeaning the op, dismissing a violent slaying of an innocent woman by a teacher as mere mental health issues? Saying the job/money/kids drove him to it?

I agree I would feel utterly bereft reading this thread, but not for the same reason as you!

Edited
Show quote history

Nobody dismissed it or said it was ‘mere’ anything. Stop inventing things. Some people (not many) said he might have mental health issues. That in no way minimises or excuses his crime, and nobody intended it to.

Anotherparkingthread · 02/03/2024 17:26

crumblingschools · 02/03/2024 17:21

If there is a safeguarding issue it’s not being a snitch

They haven't done anything though. Drinking yourself to death isn't a crime and while the ketamine is it would be very very hard to prove unless he starts railing it off his desk at work. Besides, while I don't think they are particularly outstanding citizens, they haven't done anything that harms anybody else and losing their jobs would certainly fuck up the lives of not just them but their families.

cardibach · 02/03/2024 17:25

Limesodaagain · 02/03/2024 12:04

“Witnessing the op being silenced, shouted down, having her feelings of shock minimised, her child’s exposure to risk dismissed. It is deeply shocking that a braying bunch of teachers should enter the thread on mass and take down the op in the way that they have. “
I agree with this
I’m a teacher and I’m shocked by the reaction of some on here.

Show quote history

Can you show where anyone has brayed or taken down the OP? Where she’s been silenced or chaired down (how is that even possible on a forum - anyone can post and be heard)? Her child wasn’t at risk. He isn’t a child murderer.
Is it shocking if someone you know tries to kill someone? Of course.
Is the fact he’s a teacher in any way relevant to his crime? No.

MrsHamlet · 02/03/2024 17:23

crumblingschools · 02/03/2024 17:21

If there is a safeguarding issue it’s not being a snitch

This thread is mad.

People furious that other people use the word "mistake".

People saying they wouldn't "snitch" on teachers who take drugs.

crumblingschools · 02/03/2024 17:21

If there is a safeguarding issue it’s not being a snitch

Anotherparkingthread · 02/03/2024 17:19

crumblingschools · 02/03/2024 17:00

@Anotherparkingthread if you had a concern about them and their behaviour you can contact the relevant schools

I'm not a snitch lol. What they do is their business.

UnderScoredBrain · 02/03/2024 17:19

Seriously attempted murder being minimised again as “make mistakes”.

Attempted murder is not a mistake.

cardibach · 02/03/2024 17:07

Unic0rn · 02/03/2024 11:00

Yes obviously but people are blaming this on the standard of teachers today. You get what you pay for. At the pay teachers receive, literally anyone could be standing in front of your children today, whoever they can get!

Show quote history

Well, no. In a state school the person will have a degree, a post graduate qualification and a DBS. And they’ll be heavily monitored.

JudgeJ · 02/03/2024 17:02

It’s bloody disturbing that there are teachers EXCUSING attempted murder.

What's disturbing is that someone with even a modicum of intelligence can draw that conclusion from this thread!

crumblingschools · 02/03/2024 17:00

@Anotherparkingthread if you had a concern about them and their behaviour you can contact the relevant schools

StaunchMomma · 02/03/2024 16:59

'These people'?!!

You've given exactly two examples, OP. You don't get to judge an entire profession on that any more than teacher training establishments can see into the future and know if a person will go on to do something violent!

The best anyone can do is Police checks etc and they are done in every case.

Anotherparkingthread · 02/03/2024 16:55

I hope this isn't too outing but here goes.

I know a lot of recreational and party drug users, fine, I'm partial myself on occasion. Anyway as we got older our large group diverged a lot. 3 of the guys went on to become teachers, I don't speak to them much anymore but I happen to know for a fact that one is an alcoholic with severe dependency who has been told by the doctors that he has irriversably damaged his organs. He's also quite aggressive. The second is a ketamine addict and takes it daily. The third one is just a peice of shit.

They all manage to put on a face and get through the day pretending to be something they are not. It's not my business so I stay clear of them, but I wouldn't trust them to look after a tamagochi so it's a miracle there hasn't been an incident yet.

Swipe left for the next trending thread