Teacher who attacked pupil with dumbbell banned for life

A science teacher who attacked a 14-year-old pupil with a dumbbell has been banned from teaching for life.

Peter Harvey, now 51, was provoked by pupils during a lesson in July 2009 when they called him a "psycho" and "bald-headed bastard".

He lost control and hit the teenager about the head with the 3kg weight while shouting "die, die, die".

Described as a "fundamentally decent man", Harvey was handed a two year community order at Nottingham Crown Court in May last year after admitting bludgeoning the boy at All Saints' Roman Catholic School in Mansfield.

He was cleared by a jury of attempting to murder the boy or intending to cause him serious injury.

It emerged during the four-day trial that pupils were trying to wind up Harvey so his reaction could be caught on a camcorder being used secretly by a girl in the class.

The footage was then to be passed around the school as a way of "humiliating" him.

After the sentencing the married father-of-two was sacked from the school, where he had worked since 1993, for gross misconduct.

And yesterday a General Teaching Council (GTC) committee in Birmingham banned him from teaching for life.

The Professional Conduct Committee's decision said: "There is no doubt that prior to this incident Mr Harvey was a highly respected teacher having taught in the school for 17 years.

"He was held in high regard both by the school and the wider community.

"There were issues in Mr Harvey's personal life and medical reasons which possibly explain, but do not excuse, Mr Harvey's behaviour."

The committee said Mr Harvey accepted he will not be able to teach again.

It also said the seriousness of the offence meant a conditional registration order or a suspension order would not be sufficient.

"Mr Harvey's behaviour is fundamentally incompatible with being a registered teacher and therefore the only appropriate and proportionate sanction is a prohibition order," it said.

Harvey is no longer eligible to register as a teacher and the committee said he is not entitled to apply "for restoration of his eligibility for registration".

He can appeal to the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court within 28 days from being given notice of the order, the committee said. PA