«Breaking News» PE teacher, 54, 'smacked "naughty" four-year-old nursey pupil twice'

Ian Webber, 54, at Birmingham Magistrates' Court after an earlier hearing on February 4

A PE teacher assaulted a four-year-old pupil by smacking him twice on the knees after the youngster threw a tantrum, a court heard today.

Ian Webber, 54, of Warwickshire, is charged with assaulting the nursery-aged boy during an after school football club on May 23 last year.

A court heard 6ft 2in Webber picked the boy up by the shoulder and carried him across a sports hall before telling him: 'If you kick me again, I'll smack you.'

Webber denied assaulting the boy by beating when he appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court today.

He also said the 'smacking sound' heard by witnesses may have been a high five. 

The trial was told he was interviewed by the police about the allegation and had denied striking any blows after making a 'jokey' comment to the boy. 

Tim Talbot-Webb, prosecuting, said: 'The victim was not a pupil at the school but attended the nursery. The victim attended the after school football club.

'Mr Webber was not one of the coaches at the football club. The child was having a tantrum. This was causing a disruption to the class. Mr Webber stepped in.

'He was unsuccessful in calming him down. So he picked up the child up by the arms, so the child's feet weren't touching the ground.

The trial of the PE teacher is taking place at Birmingham Magistrates' Court (file picture)

'He said to the child 'if you kick me again, I'm going to smack you'. Then he did smack the child twice on the knees. The smack was loud enough for a parent to hear but they didn't see the contact. The other children had seen what happened. 

'Mr Webber was questioned by police and denied assaulting the child. He accepted that an incident had taken place. He accepted that he did say 'if you kick me again, I'll kick you back' but meant it in a joking way.'

In a video interview the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said Mr Webber smacked him 'very hard' on the legs because he was 'being naughty'.

He said: 'I'm four years old. A teacher smacked me. It was Mr Webber. He smacked me so I hurt him. I was being naughty. I hurt him, I punched and kicked him.

'I did that 'cause he hurt me. I was at school that day playing football. Mr Webber doesn't do anything at football, I just saw him. 

Teacher picked up the boy by his arm, claims parent in witness box

A parent who witnessed part of the incident said in evidence from the witness box that she had seen Ian Webber move his arm and heard a smacking sound.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court she saw the four-year-old sitting on the floor outside the hall while other children were still playing football.

The witness said of the boy: 'He wasn't doing anything, he looked a bit forlorn, a bit lost, but he was just sitting.

'The next thing that I remember was that Mr Webber walked in through the doors - they walked in together and sat on a bench.

'I heard Mr Webber say 'If you do that again you will get a smack'. I heard Mr Webber say 'You are damaging school property' and then he picked him up by his arm and moved him to the front of the stage.

'I remember noticing that his feet weren't on the floor. I was surprised and I remember that.'

Webber, the witness said, then told the boy to calm down before the alleged assault.

'I just saw a flash of arm,' she said. 'I didn't see much else. Then I heard this slapping, smacking sound and then I heard it again shortly afterwards.'

Under cross-examination by Webber's barrister, Alexander Barbour, the parent said she had not seen a slap or smack, and was asked if she thought it could have been something like a high-five.

'I don't but that's not impossible,' the witness answered. 'That wasn't my interpretation at the time.'

'Mr Webber is black and has a bald head. I feel angry because he hurt me. He smacked me very, very hard on the legs. I was sad. I told mummy about Mr Webber. My bruises on my legs are from him hurting me.'

The boy's mother told the court another child told her Webber had attacked her son after she collected him from football practice.

She said: 'I went there to pick up at around 6pm from the sports hall. My youngest son looked sad and I spoke to one of the coaches as to why he was sad.

'He said my son was having a tantrum and said that Mr Webber was trying to calm him down. I was embarrassed that my son had kicked a teacher that I took no notice of what Mr Webber had said to my son.

'My son was quiet on the way back, I spoke to him and he showed me he smacked him on each knee really hard. [Another boy] said the coach told him not to watch whilst it was happening.'

Another boy told police another coach ordered him not to watch Webber discipline the child.

In a recorded police interview, he said: 'I heard Mr Webber say 'if you do that again, I'll smack you'. Mr Webber is loud, he makes me feel sad because he shouts. When I was in the car, I told my mum.'

Webber denies assaulting the boy and told police he placed his arms down to prevent the youngster from kicking him.

He told officers: 'I said to the boy 'if you keep kicking, you'll get a kick back.' I said it as a joke. In hindsight I realise it was not the right thing to do.

'He kept kicking me, so I put my hand down as he tried to kick me. I'm awaiting shoulder surgery, so there is no way I could have lifted a child. It's my left shoulder and this is the arm I'm supposed to have lifted the child with.

'The tendons are shot in my shoulder, I can't lift with it, I can push but I can't lift upwards. I put my hand down in front of my leg to stop him from kicking my leg.'

Speaking to magistrates today, he insisted that he did not lose his temper at any point even when the unruly child started 'punching and kicking' him.

He said: 'On May 23, there was an after school football club. I had no involvement with it. I noticed a child was standing in the hallway. 

'I had never taught this child before, so I didn't know his name. The boy was upset, shouting and kicking the tables. He was under a table, which I moved out of the way, so I could get to his level.

'I said to him 'come on now' and told the coach to call his mother in an attempt to calm him down. The boy calmed down a bit.

'When we got back into the hall, the boy was more compliant. I said to him 'do you want to play football' and he said 'yes'. Then he started to pull at the displays on the wall. 

'I said to him 'now you are damaging school property'. Then the boy started to kick and punch me whilst we were both sat down. He hit me on my leg and hand.

'I put my left arm down to my side to stop him from kicking me. I moved his foot away from me, I didn't make any contact with any other part of this body.

'I did not slap or smack him on the bench. I then moved to the stage to stop him from damaging the display board. He had my left arm and he was walking on the benches, so I can see why someone would've thought I was carrying him. 

'I was holding his hand and not his shoulder. I never lifted him off the floor as I had ruptured my tendons playing basketball a couple of months before. I couldn't have lifted him.

'I was meant to have the operation on my shoulder on May 25 but it was postponed. The boy had calmed down a bit by now and I said to him 'you need to show me you're calm in these next two minutes and then you can play football.'

'He started to behave, so I told him with were friends now, I then gave him a high-five and then we walked over to the coach. The boy then shook the coaches hand and I then left. He was happy when I left. I did not smack or slap the child on the stage. I never would.'

Webber said the football coach phoned him later that evening to inform him of the allegation.

He added: 'The coach told me a parent has accused you of slapping a child. On the stage I said to the child 'if you keep on kicking me, I'll kick you back'.

'I admit that was the wrong thing to say, it was never mean't as a threat or to intimidate anyone. I never raised my voice, his behaviour never made me angry.

'I made that comment before I put my arm down to block him from kicking me. I've got 16-years of teaching experience and I've never lost my temper with a child.'

During cross examination Mr Talbot-Webb asked whether he had made up the high-five as he hadn't mentioned it in police interview.

Webber replied: 'I didn't think it was something that I needed to mention because it's something that is routine. I asked the coach for the mother's phone number so I could tell her that the allegation was not true.

'The mother had made a comment to the coach a few months before, that she was unhappy with me - but that was dealt with.'

Webber was granted unconditional bail and the trial will resume tomorrow.

Link hienalouca.com

https://hienalouca.com/2019/02/26/pe-teacher-54-smacked-naughty-four-year-old-nursey-pupil-twice/
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Ian Webber, 54, at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court after an earlier hearing on February 4

A PE teacher assaulted a four-year-old pupil by smacking him twice on the knees after the youngster threw a tantrum, a court heard today.
Ian Webber, 54, of Warwickshire, is charged with...

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