7/25/2012

Parents treat us like NHS staff on a Saturday night, says headteacher attacked in his office

A headmaster has said parents treat teachers like "NHS staff on a Saturday night" after he was attacked in his study by an angry father.

Kieran Heakin, 60, was grabbed around the throat after being confronted by the man who believed his son was being bullied by fellow pupils.

As another teacher tried to intervene, the raging father also tried to "knee" and headbutt Mr Heakin and shouted: "Now I am really going to hurt you" during the assault at St John the Baptist Roman Catholic school in Burnley, Lancs .

The headmaster, who has taught in schools for 40 years was left bruised. The father, 45, was subsequently arrested.

In 2009, Mr Heakin was attacked by former pupil Jermaine Bullen, then 26, who harboured a 20 year grudge against him - falsely claiming he used to cane him when he was six years old.

Bullen told Mr Heakin: "You used to beat me up and I have waited all these years to meet up with you again" before repeatedly kicked and punched him in an Indian restaurant.

In that attack Mr Heakin was left needing facial reconstruction surgery, had four metal plates fitted and is now permanently deaf in one ear, and has no sense of smell and taste.

Mr Heakin, a devout Catholic and father of three later said he chosen to "forgive" Bullen after he was jailed indefinitely for public protection with a minimum sentence of three years after admitting GBH with intent.

Today Mr Heakin, a former town mayor, condemned the lack of respect shown to teachers by parents after the father who attacked him escaped jail after he was found guilty of assault.

He said: "We are just like NHS staff on a Saturday night where people come into a hospital accident and emergency department and do not have any respect for those people who are trying to help.

"In some schools they have signs up outside the school which say 'visitors to the school are welcome but violence is not.' We do not have a sign despite what has happened.

"Teaching today is very different to what is used to be like. You have to be really on top of your game and each day you just do not know what is going to happen that day and it could be that a trivial incident turns into a major incident.

"Parents are going through hard times to and there are a lot more broken families and children today can sometimes suffer and these days are brought up having their tea in front of the TV.

"I have forgiven this person but you do get the small minority of parents who have no respect for anybody.

"Other teachers and heads can get depressed about it and not want to carry on with the profession. But I see it as a character building experience and life is full of experiences.

"I just thank God that I am still here and I have my family and the children at my school and believe in forgiveness."

Describing the assault last November, Mr Heakin said: "He stood up and put his foot in front of the door and said 'you are going nowhere'. I knew then that he had me trapped in my own office. My only exit was the door so I started to bang on the door to alert the secretary.

"I had visions of him beating me up and finishing me off and it was reminiscent of my other attack. I did fear for my life.

"He then started to strangle me as I tried banging. I managed to get free but then he punched me twice in the arms and in my ribs. He was a well-built man and so the blows were hard. Then he came right up so that his nose was touching mine and said 'now I am really going to hurt you' and kneed me twice in the groin area.

"It was a savage attack. I was concerned for my own safety so I grabbed him by both wrists and held him very strongly for about two minutes while we got help. All the time his little boy was mouthing 'I'm sorry' to me."

The man was found guilty of two counts of assault and was given 16 weeks in prison, suspended for a year, with 12 months supervision and a 12 week, 7pm to 7am curfew. He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation and £200 costs.

Sentencing, the JPs said: "Headteachers and all teachers deserve the protection of the courts to be able to carry out their jobs, in often very difficult circumstances."


Original source here

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Grace A Comment!