Jailed headteacher 'could wear prisoner's ankle tag' at school » Education » 24dash.com

A headteacher jailed for a high-speed crash could return to the room wearing a prisoner's ankle tag after it was revealed his job would be held open.

Paul Davies, 51, head of a primary school, in the south Wales valleys, was jailed for 15 months after a head-on collision in his high-performance Subaru Impreza.

Governors at Cwmdare Primary School in the Cynon Valley, met last week and decided to allow him to return after his release.

Davies was jailed last month at a sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court after being found guilty of dangerous driving by a jury.

The trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard he had been driving his high-performance Subaru Impreza at speeds of up to 120mph before the smash.

The accident happened in May 2006 on the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road in wet and windy weather.

Davies lost control as he tried to brake and collided head on with a Ford Fiesta driven by businessman Kelvin Palmer, 49.

More than a year later father-of-two Mr Palmer remains wheelchair-bound and forced to live in a care home separated from his family. Davies received minor injuries.

When he was jailed Davies was told he would have to serve at least half his sentence before being released.

If he is given the option of early release it would be on condition he is allowed back into the community with an ankle tag.

Mr Palmer said he was appalled to hear that Davies would walk back into his job when he is released from prison.

"It is appalling. I am shocked by it. I do not know how such a thing can happen," he told the BBC Wales Today news programme.

"We put these people up on a pedestal as an example to the kids.

"Clearly this chap has been found guilty in the court, he's been sentenced to jail, and he's now going to be in front of kids. I really don't understand it.

"It is alarming that you can have a headmaster with a tag, that must be a first."

He said he wanted the General Teaching Council to hold its own disciplinary hearing into whether Davies should get his job back.

Alun Maddox, head of governors at Cwmdare Primary School, said the school's disciplinary panel had met at the end of last week.

In a brief statement he said: "The panel decided to allow Mr Davies to keep his post and he is expected to return after completing his sentence in relation to the recent court judgment.

"Further details of when he will return will be announced as soon as they are available."

He added that parents and carers of pupils at the school had received a letter from the governors explaining the situation.

Copyright Press Association 2007

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