News
‘Evil’ school teacher banned for life
A VETERAN primary school teacher has been banned from the classroom for life for physically assaulting pupils as young as five.
Margaret Wood-Robinson was so feared by one of her six-year-old victims, he branded her an “evil” teacher.
Other pupils were pinched, pushed, slapped, bruised and routinely dragged around during a five-year classroom reign of terror.Wood-Robinson, aged in her late 50s, worked at St Mary’s Roman Catholic VA Primary School in Pembroke Dock for 35 years.
The General Teaching Council for Wales panel heard evidence that pupils regularly returned home with bruises and red marks on their arms after a day at school and were allegedly even hit for asking for help, it was claimed.A joint police and social services investigation in 2011, carried out while she was suspended, interviewed pupils, parents and teaching staff, but stopped short of a criminal prosecution.
Mrs Wood-Robinson was suspended from school in mid-2012 when an internal inquiry into her conduct was launched. Wood-Robinson failed to attend a General Teaching Council of Wales hearing into her professional conduct, sitting in Cardiff, which concluded after two days.
It found nine allegations of physically assaulting or inappropriately touching nine pupils to be substantially proved. The GTCW panel found her behaviour collectively amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and passed an indefinite prohibition order. It means her name will be removed from the teaching register in Wales for good, effectively a ban covering the rest of her life.
The headteacher of St Mary’s School in Pembroke Dock declined to comment, but a spokesman for Pembrokeshire County Council said: “Pembrokeshire County Council welcomes the decision by the General Teaching Council for Wales.
“The authority takes the safeguarding and well-being of its school pupils extremely seriously.
“We are pleased to have assisted in this investigation and played a part in bringing it to a successful conclusion.”
News
Hakin motorist banned after driving 14 times over drug limit
A HAKIN motorist has been banned from driving for three years after being caught behind the wheel with cocaine and benzoylecgonine in his system.
Mark Briskham, 53, of Waterloo Square, Wellington Road, Hakin, was stopped by police on January 5 as he drove a Ford Kuga along Steynton Road, near Milford Haven.
Blood tests carried out at the police station showed he had 800mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.
He also had 64mcg of cocaine in his system. The legal limit is 10mcg.
Briskham pleaded guilty to two drug-driving charges when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.
Magistrates disqualified him from driving for three years, taking into account a previous drug-drive conviction from 2020.
He was also fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.cr
Crime
Begelly man remanded over alleged May Day assault
A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been remanded in custody following an alleged May Day assault against a woman in Begelly.
Tomas Baker, 34, of Ty Dee, New Road, Begelly, is accused of assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, at an undisclosed location in Begelly on May 1.
Baker appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week by video link from Swansea Prison.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
His trial will take place at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on June 22.
Crime
Waterston man denies child rape and sexual assault charges
A WATERSTON man has appeared before magistrates charged with 13 sexual offences against children, including three allegations of raping a girl under the age of 13.
Chaisee Price, 25, of Biggins Hill, Waterston, Milford Haven, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.
He faces three charges of raping a girl under 13, eight charges of sexually assaulting girls aged between five and eight, and two charges of intentionally inciting girls under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2014 and 2019.
Price denied all charges.
Because of the seriousness of the allegations, magistrates declined jurisdiction and the case will now proceed to Swansea Crown Court on July 10.
Price was released on conditional bail.
The conditions include a daily electronically monitored curfew between 6:00pm and 6:00am, no contact with the prosecution witness, no unsupervised contact with children under 18, and a requirement to surrender his passport to police.
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Gertie Grumbles
March 15, 2014 at 11:01 pm
This is incredibly sad. No teacher is evil. Many teachers are stressed beyond endurance by badly behaved pupils and management that will not manage. Also by having to work incredibly long hours with impossible demands. I wonder how much support this lady had, in her difficulties, from the school\’s management team? Probably none. Sack the head, too! Obviously not doing her job!
Stephanie brown
March 15, 2014 at 11:20 pm
Gertie grumbles… In reply to your comment..yes this teacher is evil! Perhaps you don\’t have children but any person that abuses a child which is what she did to many children is evil end of! I am a nurse, work under pressure and long hours with patients with dentist who hit and spit and punch, would that make it ok for me to hit them?? No it wouldn\’t!
shelley Hawkridge Jones
March 16, 2014 at 8:06 am
She was a professional and had a personal accountability to do her job properly, regardless of the support available to her, but there should also be an investigation into why this was allowed to go on the head should have knowledge of what is going on in every classroom and turning a blind eye would make them as guilt. I to am a Nurse and at present work with neonates, trusted with parents most prized possessions as she was it should be a privilege not a chore.
anon
March 16, 2014 at 8:26 am
In response to the lovely ladies above – I am a primary teacher and while I agree with the teacher above being suspended because of alleged physical abuse with the children, I also wonder why teachers are not protected too. If pupils have the right to be safe then so do teachers yet many of my staff and myself regularly go home with bruises and other marks due to children hurting us. They never seem to get reprimanded!!!! The government has taken away any real form of ‘punishment’ so the children from a very early age realise that if they are naughty nothing happens other than being spoken to!
Everyone in a school or educational establishment has the right and basic need to feel safe.
anon
March 16, 2014 at 8:45 am
Gertie Grumbles (above comments) “no teacher is evil”, rubbish! this woman is evil, these children were aged 5 – 6 years old, there are no excuses for the fear pain and upset she has caused. We entrust our children into the care of teachers, and she abused that trust.
Mrs mole
March 16, 2014 at 10:08 am
I can not believe gertie grumbles is trying to stand up for this evil teacher yes teachers work hard and are under stress but they also get a lot more holidays than a nurse who has a lot more stress so I think u should of thought a bit harder before u left your comment as a mother myself I think this teacher is disgusting us as parents trust teachers to care for our children she certainly did not care. And we as parents get stressed out with the behaviour of our children but it would be wrong of us to treat our own children like that yet u are condoning a teacher doing it . The sad bit is your view these were vaunreble children of 5-6 she is a very evil woman and deserves everything she gets
Sophie
March 16, 2014 at 3:01 pm
Stressed out by badly behaved kids? These kids were 5 years old. Can’t handle 5 year olds? Don’t teach!! Do not blame such horrible actions in the victims!
Anon
March 16, 2014 at 9:27 pm
my wife was was hit over the head with a big book bye this Teacher 20 years ago in the same school, how has this been un detected for so long
Anon
March 16, 2014 at 9:34 pm
Sad thing is as a pupil who was taught by her I have vivid memories of not only the physical abuse, but also the way she would clearly have “favourites” that she would be a lot nicer to. It has probably happened so often that many kids felt disliked and made to feel like the bad children of the class.
Male Anon
March 21, 2014 at 4:29 pm
Now that the truth has finally been revealed, it is inevitable that the others who complained in the 90’s but were refused an investigation by the then Headmaster will have their complaints properly investigated. I was a pupil of this teacher in 1987 – her recorded misconduct is only a small timescale of her actual offending.
Teifion
March 22, 2014 at 7:59 pm
couldn’t but help but think that’s what ALL teachers were like 30 or more years ago