Teacher acquitted of pupil assault

Graham Davies: "Teachers' jobs are difficult"

A Devon teacher accused of head-butting and punching a disruptive pupil has been cleared by a court of common assault.

Graham Davies, 55, denied assaulting the 13-year-old boy after excluding him from an art and design class on 3 December 2001.

The boy had amassed an 88-page disciplinary record in the 13 months he had been at the south Devon school.

Mr Davies, of Aveton Gifford, south Devon, has been a teacher for 30 years and had an unblemished record, magistrates heard.

The case illustrates just how difficult it can be for teachers to do their job

Graham Davies' statement

Magistrates deliberated for two hours to find Mr Davies not guilty.

The chairman of Totnes Magistrates in south Devon, Anthony Bailey, said: "We believe Mr Davies' evidence in its totality."

The chairman said there was no indication of predisposition to violence "in his long and dedicated career".

Mr Bailey said they did not find the evidence of the boy totally credible.

Magistrates believed there were inconsistencies between the boy's written statement and his evidence in court.

Mr Davies silently mouthed "thank you" to the three magistrates when he was cleared.

'True facts'

Mr Davies' solicitor, Neil Scott, made a statement on his client's behalf.

He said: "The case illustrates just how difficult it can be for teachers to do their job. Allegations are easily made and acted upon.

"The trial revealed the true facts, something not done by the witness's original statement.

"It raises many questions about how teachers can be expected to keep order and discipline and to ensure that disruptive pupils do not adversely affect the education of other pupils."

Mr Scott continued: "Mr Davies is a quiet and reserved man who wishes to come to terms with what's happened in the privacy that he deserves."