Teacher arrested for attempted murder

[Bottomofthebarrel]

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.

No teacher of mine was ever a “role model”. I think it’s pretty strange to encourage your children to think that way of anyone that you don’t actually know inside out. So maybe the buck stops with you there. Ditto the worrying about kids using this as some sort of comeback when their behaviour is challenged. It will be up to you to teach your children that to trivialise a woman’s horrific and brutal attack to get themselves out of trouble for talking in class/not doing their homework is an awful thing to do. So that’s on you too.

Perhaps stop putting so much onus on school and teachers to raise your children, rather than just teach them. I think you may have lost the moral high ground on this one…

what about doctors who murder? Do we still respect/trust doctors?

the same for nurses?

and of course the police?

Nope - as the rest of my quote states had you not cherry-picked- but in response to the OPs position, she is over reacting. Her child was not at risk. And it is not ‘minimising’ to correct someone who is talking about murder. The facts as presented in the media are that there is no murder, and that the community at large is not at risk.

She is in critical condition & the current charge is attempted murder. Why are you saying stable & GBH?

I am one of those that has said the OP is unreasonable.
I was a child at a school where a teacher was convicted of murder.
I don't recall being affected very much by it all, nor any of my friends. I'm sure there were probably some pupils who were but it certainly didn't seem like everyone had ongoing issues as a result. Obviously, I only know for sure how I felt inside though.
Once the gossiping slowed down, everything was just as it was before to happened. It wasn't as though it happened at school and we all saw it.

Stop trying to start a witch hunt when you already have your witch. Let the police do their job. Let the school do theirs. This is fresh. They won’t be able to just put out statements etc yet, they will have a board of governors to deal with first. Let the process happen. If questions need to be asked then they will be, in due time. But let these people fucking grieve and get over their shock before you start demanding as to why they didn’t predict this man would have murdered someone. If there was anything in his past then the police will find it and you can get atsey with the school then, it Christ you’ve got enough sympathy for the Op who is just a parent, have some for the people who worked with him daily, maybe socialised with him, maybe called him a friend. Let due process work out before you start demanding their heads on spikes. I feel sorry for them. Not as much as the lady in question and her family, but the circle of people around killers are affected too. You want sympathy for the OP, extend it to them as well.

I won’t be reiterating this again, I think your attitude is bang out of order, at this stage. Save your frothing for the man who tried to kill someone. If, something more comes out, you can start again at the school.

I won’t be reiterating this again, I think your attitude is bang out of order, at this stage. Save your frothing for the man who tried to kill someone. If, something more comes out, you can start again at the school.

@JackanorysStories Are you ok? What attitude, what witch hunt. All I have said is that I expect the school to communicate with the community, is that outlandish.

Murder isn't an entry level crime nor it is a loss of control. This is a choice behaviour. He will have done other things prior to this but never got caught or held to account. It just shows that the DBS system only flags up those already caught - those not yet caught can carry on regardless.

This is a disturbing story for sure.however not all teachers are murderers! Just what kind of screening process could be used. As pp say probably no risk to pupils ,just his poor partner

But let these people fucking grieve and get over their shock before you start demanding as to why they didn’t predict this man would have murdered someone

Let due process work out before you start demanding their heads on spikes.

Wowsers I’ve not said anything pertaining to the above, it’s really not healthy to be this upset at 9am on a Saturday morning!

erm, what’s wrong with lorry drivers? 🤔

It just shows that the DBS system only flags up those already caught - those not yet caught can carry on regardless.

Yes the DBS system isn’t faultless. It only flags stuff prior & I believe it’s only best practice that suggests schools should redo them every few yrs.

No, because many people are not charged with safe guarding children, shaping their world view and educating them!

And? That doesn't mean they're anything special compared to anyone else.

Do you not grasp the responsibility and power you have? Clearly you should resign, if you are so unaware of your substantial responsibilities.

What are you on about? I'm not a teacher 😂

Accusing someone else of "ghoulish voyeurism" when your opening contribution to a thread on a poor lady being brutally attacked was to seize what you saw as a perfect opportunity to bash the length of school holidays.

When I was a teen, many moons ago, one of my teachers killed a man. I can't remember anything but people being shocked, it definitely didn't result in the school losing control. I think it might be the same incident @Pinkfrlls mentions.

Sorry - the report has been updated since I first read it - but I REPEAT: it is a horrible, vicious crime - but it has nothing to do with the OP, who is fuelling her child’s fear and making it about herself… which is what this thread is about. She is not the victim, nor is her child.

Please feel free to start another thread about the heinousness of the case, the fact that despite the viciousness of the attack he has not been remanded into custody, of the fact that we still think that only men from certain backgrounds commit these sorts of crimes, that DV is still not managed on a societal level, and women are incredibly unprotected both by violent partners and a the system that does not step in soon enough and I’ll be there cheering you on, as I agree.

I doubt he had violent convictions before he began teaching so that's how they become teachers. Same as priests who rape children etc.

I went to a medical graduation party. At this party we're not only recently qualified dr but consultants too. They were all taking turns to do lines of coke.
Don't assume people with responsible jobs are good decent law abiding citizens. They ain't!

If anything, teaching is probably quite an attractive profession for someone who likes to control and dominate. It doesn’t surprise me that someone like this would be a teacher. Of course the vast majority of teachers are good people who are in the profession for the right reasons, but there is bound to be a small number of bad apples.

it must have been a real shock op and I’m sure many parents are feeling the same way as you. Hopefully the school will provide support for the pupils who will need reassurance.

If anything, teaching is probably quite an attractive profession for someone who likes to control and dominate.

Well, exactly. I suspect that won't be a popular comment though!

Many schools use the DBS update service.

But the DBS only shows crimes that have been recorded. That is why schools will have other safeguarding measures in place to protect both pupils and staff.

As others have said teachers can be alone with pupils but other measures in place, so door open, windows in door etc. and probably recommended where possible to not be alone

Urgh, the classic ‘ArE yOu OkAy?’ Attempt at belittling someone’s more than acceptable argument.

Yes, I think it is. As I have made very clear, I think it’s the wrong thing to do at this stage. I bet when other murders take place you don’t go around demanding the construction industry or that bakers perform stricter DVS checks? Especially when the crime wasn’t committed on their premises or has anything to do with those industries? No. But if it’s teaching or nursing they must be held accountable, even when the crime has NOTHING to do with that profession. IF more comes out during questioning about his past or suspicions then yes. An inquiry is a must. But right now? No. End of. Just no. The parents have nothing to demand of the school at this stage except that the school cooperates with the police and then I believe they should offer support to students who need it. But they don’t need to answer to any sort of suggestions of blame.

I’m not responding to you now, I’m done with repeating myself and you still not listening. We feel differently. End of.

Teachers do not have power though! So I suppose those who think teachers have power would assume that but they do not.

but it has nothing to do with the OP, who is fuelling her child’s fear and making it about herself… which is what this thread is about. She is not the victim, nor is her child.

I haven’t said she was a victim but it does have something to do with her as it was one of her dd’s teachers. I was just questioning why you thought your DHs response was proportionate but the OP wasn’t.

Please feel free to start another thread about the heinousness of the case, the fact that despite the viciousness of the attack he has not been remanded into custody, of the fact that we still think that only men from certain backgrounds commit these sorts of crimes, that DV is still not managed on a societal level, and women are incredibly unprotected both by violent partners and a the system that does not step in soon enough and I’ll be there cheering you on, as I agree.

Crack on then, you don’t need my permission!

I don’t agree with the OP’s concerns (although to be fair to her I think she is processing things and I’d be pretty damn horrified if my child had been alone in a room with a man who had gone on to do this).

I don’t think it’s right, the people who are saying “your child was never at risk”. You can’t possibly know that.

People are either capable of this stuff, or they aren’t. If you are the sort of person who gets so angry and irrational that your instinct is to punch/kick/strangle/stab someone, and there is nothing within you that stops you crossing that line, then I don’t see how it could be said with any sort of certainty that you wouldn’t cross that line with a student (but a partner is fair game).

YANBU to be shocked at someone teaching your child to be involved in this
But other than that, no. The school cannot forsee what's going to happen

Yeah. Probably failed to get into the Police.