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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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)

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.