'Boy racer' teacher early release

Paul Davies will return to his head post at Cwmdare primary school

A head teacher said to have driven at 120mph before crashing and severely injuring another driver, has been released early from prison on licence.

Paul Davies, 51, was jailed for 15 months in May after crashing into a car driven by Kelvin Palmer on the A465.

The judge said he had driven with the "mentality of a boy racer".

Mr Palmer, now a wheelchair user, criticised the governors of Cwmdare primary school in the Cynon Valley for planning to reinstate Davies.

It emerged in July that the head teacher post at the school was being kept open for Davies.

At the time, Mr Palmer said he was concerned Davies could conceivably return to the school with an electronic tag.

But governors said he will return to his post once his sentence is complete in January.

I don't think he is a fit person to be a teacher to be honest with you, having gone through the courts, the experience he put me through and everything since Kelvin Palmer

Mr Palmer, 49, said he was very upset and angry that Davies was being allowed back to his job.

"These people are supposed to set a good example to our young people. We put them up on a pedestal and this chap has clearly fallen off the pedestal," he said.

"I don't think he is a fit person to be a teacher to be honest with you, having gone through the courts, the experience he put me through and everything since.

"He should not be dealing with young people."

Davies was sentenced on 31 May at Newport Crown Court after Judge Stephen Hopkins had described his driving on the A465 Heads of the Valleys road in wet and windy conditions in May 2006 as "lunatic".

"Fifty one you may have been but you drove with the mentality of a boy racer," said Judge Hopkins.

His trial, at Merthyr Crown Court, heard he had "effectively destroyed" the life of Mr Palmer and his family after his Subaru Impreza collided with Mr Palmer's Ford Fiesta.

One witness told the court that Davies had driven past her at a speed of 120mph (200kmph).

Mr Palmer, 49, spent 10 months in hospital and now needs a wheelchair. He lives away from his family in a respite care centre.

Davies, who had denied dangerous driving, had been told he would serve at least half of his sentence. He was released on Monday.

Kelvin Palmer now uses a wheelchair

In July, the National Association of Head Teachers, which backed Davies' case said, he could apply for early release on licence, if he agreed to be tagged.

The General Teaching Council for Wales, the teaching regulatory body, has confirmed that the case had been referred to them by South Wales Police.

The file has gone to an investigative committee and they have three months to decide if it should go to a full hearing where Davies may be punished.

These punishments include suspension and prohibition from teaching.

The decision on whether the hearing will take place will be made before January when Davies is due to return to school.

Anne Hovey the regional officer of the National Association of Head Teachers said the decision about Davies' reinstatement had been made in full agreement with the union and Davies himself.