Page 13 | Teacher arrested for attempted murder

Bottomofthebarrel · 2024-03-02T01:59:54+00:00

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.

CaptainMyCaptain · 02/03/2024 08:39

lambhotpot · 02/03/2024 08:34

Ive never liked schools or teachers.

You're in luck then because soon there won't be anyone willing to do the job.

Meadowfinch · 02/03/2024 08:39

Yabvu.

One person has a nervous breakdown or whatever has happened, and you want to tar an entire profession ?

The whole school, teachers & pupils will be shocked, stunned, most of the children will be awed into silence or need reassurance FROM THE TEACHERS.

Then life will get back to normal. As it always does.

I wish the poor woman a rapid recovery.

Combattingthemoaners · 02/03/2024 08:39

Bottomofthebarrel · 02/03/2024 02:21

I hope I’m wrong about the moral high ground bit, I really do, and hopefully that is me being daft. But for a role model to impressionable teens to have done this does kind of send the wrong message about what kind of behaviour is acceptable.

I think most teenagers are sensible enough to know that trying to stab someone to death isn’t how most adults behave, whether a teacher or not.

underthebun · 02/03/2024 08:39

I feel my DH’s reaction seems fair - this guy was a direct risk to our children. But the OP’s reaction seems disproportionate.

@BusyMummy001 but he was a finance professional so wouldn’t have been alone with your dc very often so I’m not sure how that’s proportionate but being taught by a attempted murderer isn’t?

Newchapterbeckons · 02/03/2024 08:38

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JackanorysStories · 02/03/2024 08:38

underthebun · 02/03/2024 08:22

For the shock, for sure. It’s understandable to be shocked and shaken up, but I don’t think it’s okay to start the ‘It could have been me’ stuff, especially when there are children around, or the ‘who shall we blame’ stuff - the one to blame is the man who committed this crime.

The students, teachers, school and mostly the lady and her family need the support, not the gruesome stuff that always arises with these incidents.

The OP didn’t imply she was in danger, she said the fact her dd who was a student had a detention alone with him & gave her shivers which I think is understandable.
People like to think they can judge characters & see red flags etc it’s comforting when in reality there often aren’t any. And blame is human nature, of course the man who committed the crime is to blame but I would think it was odd to not question if all the correct employment checks etc were carried out. After all parents lose trust in schools for a lot less than have an attempted murderer as a teacher.

No, sorry, but it’s not okay to blame his colleagues or the school. They will be affected much more than the OP right now, imagine the state that they’re in, and you think it’s okay to be publicly blaming them? This isn’t the right stage for any sort of questions. OP needs to let the police and the school do their job. Once more is understood, should there be an issue then an inquiry can be launched. But right now is not the appropriate time for grisly comments and attempts to shift the blame in this situation.

CaptainMyCaptain · 02/03/2024 08:38

RoyalCorgi · 02/03/2024 08:28

I don’t know what’s worse the attempted murder or the response on here.

Agree. I'm shocked at the response, particularly that two-thirds of people apparently think the OP is unreasonable. Imagine finding out that one of your child's teachers is going to be charged with murder or attempted murder. It would absolutely send shivers down your spine. It would also make me insist to the school that no child should ever be alone in a room with a male teacher, as happened to the OP's DD.

The OP is unreasonable to blame the school and believe they have lost the moral high ground. She is not unreasonable to be shocked and upset.

Onelifeonly · 02/03/2024 08:37

If he is sent to prison as seems likely, this WILL be a good example for the pupils. Do wrong, lose your career and freedom.

A teacher I know was sent to prison for very callous fraud. As it happens the pupils didn't find out.

SuperMaria · 02/03/2024 08:37

*You don't know whether attempted murder is worse than people opining on MN??

I think the judicial system could help you with that one.*

😭😭😭

CormorantStrikesBack · 02/03/2024 08:36

Well I guess it could be argued that it shows the kids that actions have consequences. That if you lose your temper and hurt someone you can end up in prisons for potentially a long time, lose your job, wreck your life.

underthebun · 02/03/2024 08:36

but he is clearly felt not a risk to the people and children in his workplace or the community at large because he would now be in on remand.

Probably more to do with overcrowding!

Newchapterbeckons · 02/03/2024 08:36

BusyMummy001 · 02/03/2024 08:34

I get that this is ‘disturbing’, that children at the school will have had their expectations of adults rocked. But as far as the news reports go, this appears to have been confined to a preexisting relationship. He may or may not have had MH issues, but he is clearly felt not a risk to the people and children in his workplace or the community at large because he would now be in on remand.

My husband was interviewed by the police a few years ago when a colleague he had sat next to at work for 3 years did not arrive. The guy had met our kids at corporate events, they’d gone on work dos together. He was a finance professional and highly educated.

Turned out that he had been arrested for offences relating to paedophilia and having in excess of 3000 child sex abuse images on his home and work computer. He had chosen to jump in front of a tube rather than appear in court, hence not arriving at work. All his staff peers were investigated, computers (home and work) scanned to ensure no connection. My DH was not the same after that. He removed all screensavers and family photos from his workspace and never discusses our kids in the office at all because he realised that at any point had we let our kids go to the loo unsupervised at work events, they would have been vulnerable as he was a risk to them.

I feel my DH’s reaction seems fair - this guy was a direct risk to our children. But the OP’s reaction seems disproportionate.

What??? So your kids deserve to be protected from a peado teacher but ops dd can sit in a class on her own with a murderer. Wow.

Op is disproportionately reacting but your precious dh isn’t. Okay.

Piggywaspushed · 02/03/2024 08:35

Newchapterbeckons · 02/03/2024 08:24

I would have much more respect for teachers overall if they were able to say of course it’s awful and thankfully rare, and most teachers are stable members of society. Rather than pouring petrol on an attempted murder by saying we drink, take drugs and are just like lorry drivers. Yeah he probably had mh issues ( brought on by the job - ie your kids) and is not our fault. Nothing is ever our fault.

Jusr zero empathy. Zero acknowledgement that this is hideous for the children. Zero accountability for your expected behaviour within society.

I don’t know what’s worse the attempted murder or the response on here.

You don't know whether attempted murder is worse than people opining on MN??

I think the judicial system could help you with that one.

Justgorgeous · 02/03/2024 08:35

if my mum was alive she would give you a wooden spoon.

lambhotpot · 02/03/2024 08:34

Ive never liked schools or teachers.

CaptainMyCaptain · 02/03/2024 08:34

Newchapterbeckons · 02/03/2024 08:24

I would have much more respect for teachers overall if they were able to say of course it’s awful and thankfully rare, and most teachers are stable members of society. Rather than pouring petrol on an attempted murder by saying we drink, take drugs and are just like lorry drivers. Yeah he probably had mh issues ( brought on by the job - ie your kids) and is not our fault. Nothing is ever our fault.

Jusr zero empathy. Zero acknowledgement that this is hideous for the children. Zero accountability for your expected behaviour within society.

I don’t know what’s worse the attempted murder or the response on here.

Nobody has excused what he did.

BusyMummy001 · 02/03/2024 08:34

I get that this is ‘disturbing’, that children at the school will have had their expectations of adults rocked. But as far as the news reports go, this appears to have been confined to a preexisting relationship. He may or may not have had MH issues, but he is clearly felt not a risk to the people and children in his workplace or the community at large because he would now be in on remand.

My husband was interviewed by the police a few years ago when a colleague he had sat next to at work for 3 years did not arrive. The guy had met our kids at corporate events, they’d gone on work dos together. He was a finance professional and highly educated.

Turned out that he had been arrested for offences relating to paedophilia and having in excess of 3000 child sex abuse images on his home and work computer. He had chosen to jump in front of a tube rather than appear in court, hence not arriving at work. All his staff peers were investigated, computers (home and work) scanned to ensure no connection. My DH was not the same after that. He removed all screensavers and family photos from his workspace and never discusses our kids in the office at all because he realised that at any point had we let our kids go to the loo unsupervised at work events, they would have been vulnerable as he was a risk to them.

I feel my DH’s reaction seems fair - this guy was a direct risk to our children. But the OP’s reaction seems disproportionate.

Newchapterbeckons · 02/03/2024 08:34

I am a 100% sure there would have been red flags before he did this.

underthebun · 02/03/2024 08:34

I really liked teachers until I came on to MN, now I am just disgusted a lot of the time

I have a teaching family & friend base, MNs is not representative.

swayingpalmtree · 02/03/2024 08:33

There are DBS checks required in many, many jobs and they are a bit like car MOTs- only as accurate as the day they are carried out. A car can have an MOT and be fine then break down a week/month later. Similarly, a person can have a DBS and it's clear and then commit a crime a week/month later.

I understand it's disturbing with all the "what ifs" but I am not sure what else you expect the school to do. They carried out the relevant criminal checks and got references etc so thats really all they can do. They cannot predict a person's future intentions or mental melt downs. It is certainly horrific but unfortunately we all deal with potential risks veery single day of our lives and teachers are no different.

pleasehelpwi3 · 02/03/2024 08:33

RoyalCorgi · 02/03/2024 08:28

I don’t know what’s worse the attempted murder or the response on here.

Agree. I'm shocked at the response, particularly that two-thirds of people apparently think the OP is unreasonable. Imagine finding out that one of your child's teachers is going to be charged with murder or attempted murder. It would absolutely send shivers down your spine. It would also make me insist to the school that no child should ever be alone in a room with a male teacher, as happened to the OP's DD.

Why just a male teacher?
Door should have been wide open if it's just one or a few children, regardless of the gender of the teacher.

Littlebitpsycho · 02/03/2024 08:33

Kimmeridge · 02/03/2024 02:25

Or maybe it'll illustrate to them that anyone, even the most seemly respectable people can have mental health issues that noone knows about.

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That's a bit of a stretch! Why is he already being excused on the grounds of having 'mental health issues'

Newsflash - hundreds of thousands of people have mental health issues and manage not to go out and stab someone!

Newchapterbeckons · 02/03/2024 08:32

Robyn847 · 02/03/2024 08:31

Cue visions of your Daughter being thrown into the back of a police van covered in blood shouting "BUT MR JONES THOUGHT IT WAS OK!".

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Poor form to make vulgar jokes like that.

ThirtyThrillionThreeTrees · 02/03/2024 08:32

Windandrainandcold · 02/03/2024 08:22

This post borders on being disrespectful to be honest.

Of course we have female nurses but we’ve also changed things at a procedural level to try to prevent these sorts of crimes taking place.

I am wondering if anyone else remembers Ian Huntley and Soham. Very easy to be flippant when it isn’t your child in the same room as a violent, unpredictable man, isn’t it?

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Report it if you want.

I think it's important to keep things in context which was not evident in a lot of the thread. There is a lot of overreaction.

One man is not a reflection of all teachers.
All caretakers don't care the same risks as Ian Huntley, all nurses Lucy Letby, etc.

Yes what happened is horrific. Yes it's disturbing and worrying for the pupils and parents but the suggestion that we shouldn't have male teachers is beyond ridiculous.

Newchapterbeckons · 02/03/2024 08:32

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