Job suspension defence at inquest

Mr Baines was found dead in his car in October 2003

The head teacher of a Wrexham special school has defended the way a member of staff was suspended - the day before he apparently took his own life.

Maxine Grant, head teacher of St Christopher's School, was giving evidence at the inquest into the death of David Baines, 57, found dead in a fume-filled car in October 2003.

Mr Baines wrongly believed he was being investigated over abuse allegations.

Mrs Grant told the continuing inquest she had told him this was not the case.

She told the court that she met with Mr Baines, a support worker, to inform him he was suspended and when he asked if it was due to an abuse allegation, she said it was not and that it was a matter of "personal conduct".

I think it was very fair. We were doing it with compassion Maxine Grant

Other witnesses, including members of Mr Baines' family, have insisted that he was not told why he was being suspended.

Mrs Grant said that she offered Mr Baines "a lot of support". "I think it was very fair. We were doing it with compassion," she said.

Under cross examination by Mr Baines' family barrister, she was asked why no reference was made to that in notes she made two days after he died.

Mrs Grant said the notes were not verbatim and insisted that her evidence was truthful.

Earlier, pathologist Dr Richard Williams told the inquest that Mr Baines died of carbon monoxide poisoning. There was no evidence of alcohol or drugs in his body found in his fume-filled car.

On Tuesday, the inquest was told about the meeting between police, education and social services officials which led to a recommendation that Mr Baines be suspended.

Officials, the court heard, were wrongly informed by police that Mr Baines had previous convictions for wounding and dishonesty.

In fact, the convictions belonged to another man with the same name - an error discovered only after Mr Baines' death.

Mr Baines was an education support worker at the Wrexham school

Officials had been told there had been claims of "inappropriate" phone calls with a former pupil of St Christopher's school who was detained in a secure unit.

The tone of the calls was considered inappropriate, and confidentiality rules had been breached, the inquest heard.

Tom Davies, the education support manager for Wrexham Council, advised school staff about suspension procedures and how Mr Baines should be informed of the decision.

"It was decided he should not be told the reasons why (he was being suspended)," said Mr Davies. "I believe we did the correct thing."

The inquest heard how Mr Baines took a number of telephone calls from one pupil on a regular basis.

The 14-year-old had been feeling down and rang almost nightly and Mr Baines would talk to him to try to cheer him up. His wife Jacqueline said that the calls were always above board and said if he had known the reason for his suspension, he would still be here today.

The hearing continues.