Pupil hit teacher for losing computer work (From Southend Standard)

Pupil hit teacher for losing computer work

1:00pm Friday 3rd July 2009

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A TEACHER was punched and slapped in the face by a 15-year-old pupil in the middle of the classroom, a court heard.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, flew into a rage after some of his information communication technology work was lost.

He blamed the teacher at the Southend special needs school for not saving the work properly and got into an arguement.

Bob Rowlingson, prosecuting at Southend Youth Court, said: “He was causing an amount of disruption, tearing up booklets, when the teacher spoke to him about his behaviour.

“He was abusive to his teacher. The teacher walked away, sat down at his desk, and the teenager approached him whereby he punched the teacher to the right side of his face near his temple then repeatedly slapped the teacher around the face.

“He said he did this because he was angry because the teacher had not saved his work on the computer the previous day.”

The boy admitted the attack, which happened in front of shocked classmates at noon on Wednesday May 20.

Michelle Brindell, mitigating, said: “He said the teacher was laughing at him and he became very frustrated. He tried to get the teacher to speak to him.

“He accepts then, as a result of the initial ignorance of the teacher, he did punch and slap him. He accepts this was not reasonable behaviour."

The teacher was left with a sore head and suffered a headache following the assault.

Miss Brindell said the boy had been doing well at school other than this attack.

She added: “We’ve also heard the teacher has no lasting injuries, no visible injuries, just soreness.”

The boy's mother told the court: “I think he just lost his temper. I don’t think he’d usually hit a teacher.”

The youngster, who lives in Shoebury, was referred to the Youth Offending Service on a six-month supervision order.

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