DRINK-DRIVING TEACHER’S BAN

A TEACHER “stupidly stopped for a drink” before getting behind the wheel on the way home from a family camping holiday, a tribunal has heard.

Huw Davies, a former English teacher at Ysgol Bro Teifi in Llandysul, Ceredigion, was more than three times over the legal alcohol limit for driving when he was stopped by police, a professional conduct committee was told.

Mr Davies, who had recently been working as a supply English teacher through an agency at Queen Elizabeth High School in Carmarthen, was arrested in the Tesco supermarket car park in Morfa Street, Carmarthen, after being spotted “driving erratically” on the A40 St Clears to Carmarthen road on July 30 last year.

Mr Davies told the Education Workforce Wales Committee hearing he has been getting help from Alcoholics Anonymous and the DDAS substance misuse service for adults. “I am very ashamed of what I did and I am very lucky no-one came to any harm as a result of my actions,” he told the panel.

A TEACHER “stupidly stopped for a drink” before getting behind the wheel on the way home from a family camping holiday, a tribunal has heard.

Huw Davies, a former English teacher at Ysgol Bro Teifi in Llandysul, Ceredigion, was more than three times over the legal alcohol limit for driving when he was stopped by police, a professional conduct committee was told.

Mr Davies was arrested in the Tesco supermarket car park in Morfa Street, Carmarthen, after being spotted “driving erratically” on the A40 St Clears to Carmarthen road on July 30 last year.

Witnesses called police after he stopped at a garage and appeared intoxicated, with red eyes and dilated pupils, the Education Workforce Wales Committee (EWC) was told.

The teacher then pulled out of the garage and was driving “all over the road”, EWC presenting officer Clare Hastie told the committee.

When police opened the door there was “a strong smell of intoxicants”, the hearing was told.

Mr Davies, who appeared at the virtual hearing recently, said he was ashamed of his actions and relieved no-one had been hurt as a consequence. But his actions had the “potential to put others at risk”, Ms Hastie told the panel.

Mr Davies told the committee that since the conviction he has been getting help from Alcoholics Anonymous and the DDAS substance misuse service for adults.

“I am very ashamed of what I did and I am very lucky no-one came to any harm as a result of my actions,” he told the panel.

Mr Davies described how he had been camping with his family in St Davids. The weather was rainy so he took the tent down while the rest of the family left.

“I stupidly stopped for a drink on the way home,” he told the panel.

EWC presenting officer Clare Hastie said Mr Davies had started teaching English at Ysgol Bro Teifi in 2016, but had periods of absence and left with mutual agreement, with the official leaving date the end of the summer holidays on August 31, 2021.

He has recently been working as a supply English teacher through an agency at Queen Elizabeth High School in Carmarthen. Mr Davies told the hearing he felt supported and happy in his supply job, is getting help from Alcoholics Anonymous and owing to health issues has still not returned to driving.

Colin Adkins, an officer from the Nasuwt teaching union, representing Mr Davies, described him as a recovering alcoholic and said he was getting help he needed.

The committee had received good character references from Queen Elizabeth High School and Mr Davies had no previous blots on his teaching-career record.

“We accept that driving a motor vehicle when three times over the limit has potential dangers for Mr Davies and other road users. However, having said that, there were no accidents,” Mr Adkins told the panel. “Whilst I don’t want to diminish the seriousness of the offence I want to put it in context that it was entirely in his private life and no other person was harmed.”

Mr Davies r faced two allegations, both of which he admitted and both of which were found proved by the EWC committee. The allegations were that on August 19 last year he was convicted of drink-driving after giving a breathalyser reading of 120mg in 100ml of breath, leading to a community order and ninemonth driving ban, and that the conviction constituted a ‘relevant offence’ to his fitness to be a registered teacher.

Imposing a reprimand on Mr Davies’ record, the committee took into account his frank admissions and regret both in the court proceedings and the hearing.

Committee chairman Michelle Mcbreeze said Mr Davies had taken steps to address the issues that led to his conviction. While it was “a serious incident of offending behaviour”, she said, Davies “took full responsibility for his actions and has shown clear regret and remorse”. Ms Mcbreeze said it was “a serious incident of offending behaviour” but Mr Davies “took full responsibility for his actions and has shown clear regret and remorse”. Mr Davies had “nearly lost everything” as a result of his actions but after steps he had taken to address his issues had shown he could still be an asset to the profession, she added.

“The reprimand will remain for two years and be disclosed to employers,” said Ms Mcbreeze.

Mr Davies has the right to appeal to the High Court within 28 days.