Teacher who lost his temper in classroom may face jail sentence

Outburst frightened primary school pupils with additional needs

A Tayside teacher of 20 years’ experience who frightened two pupils with additional needs in a prolonged classroom incident has been warned he could go to jail for the offence.

Phillippe Magalon repeatedly shouted at the six and seven-year-olds in the Angus school, banged his hands on a table and threw a book at a wall after telling the children he was “fed up” with their behaviour.

Shocked support staff in the classroom said they had never witnessed a teacher acting like that before.

Sheriff Gregor Murray said: “The question of a custodial sentence is not out of my mind in this case.”

Fiscal depute Jill Drummond told Forfar Sheriff Court Magalon and colleagues had been working with additional support needs children on the afternoon of February 28 last year.

“The children were quite disruptive. They tried to read a story to them but they continued to be disruptive,” she said.

“The accused clearly became frustrated and quite angered, and banged his hands down.

“He shouted ‘quiet, I’ve had enough’. This frightened the children and caused them to become more disruptive.

“The accused then forcefully and repeatedly banged his hands and the book he had down on the table.

“He then threw the book he was holding right across the classroom, striking the wall hard.”

Colleagues saw Magalon continue to shout and slam his fists down, shouting that he was “fed up” with the behaviour.

Magalon’s solicitor said he started teaching in England in 1999 and came to Scotland in 2007.

The accused was initially suspended from his post, and subsequently took voluntary retirement in May.

The court heard Magalon had been suffering from an undiagnosed depressive illness and was “quite unwell” at the time of the offence.

Magalon, of West Bay, Gourdon, Aberdeenshire admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at the primary school in a manner likely to cause fear or alarm to the children in his care.

Sentence was deferred until October for a background report.

“He... threw the book he was holding right across the classroom, striking the wall hard. FISCAL DEPUTE JILL DRUMMOND