A furious dad who 'squared up' to his child's headteacher before head-butting him has been jailed. Shaun Pattyson had been called to Chesterton Community Sports College to collect the youngster due to his disruptive behaviour in class.
When the 28-year-old arrived with his partner, his child was standing outside the school entrance accompanied by headteacher Robert Swindells. Without warning, Pattyson then approached the headmaster and head-butted him before repeatedly punching him to the ground.
He was eventually dragged off by his partner as he screamed at Mr Swindells: "You went down like a sack of s***. Come down the park and I will finish you off." The headteacher suffered swelling to his right cheek and shoulder pain following the attack, Stoke-on-Trent Live reports.
Now, Pattyson has been sentenced to four months in prison at North Staffordshire Justice Centre. Zaine Riaz, prosecuting, told the court that the defendant's youngster was described as a 'problem child'.
Mr Riaz said: "On May 9 they were disciplined and their phone was confiscated. The teacher contacted their parents to collect their child. He still had the confiscated phone.
"The headteacher and the child were outside the school when Pattyson arrived. He approached the headteacher. The defendant squared up to him placing his forehead against his and without warning he head-butted the headteacher. He began to repeatedly punch him and he kicked him."
CCTV footage of the assault was also shown to the court. In the clip, Pattyson could be seen walking up to his victim
The violence was captured on CCTV which was shown to the court. Pattyson could be clearly seen to approach his victim before headbutting him and repeatedly punching him. The headteacher was also kicked during the attack.
Mr Riaz added: "After the assault Pattyson said, 'You went down like a sack of s***. Come down the park and I will finish you off'."
Pattyson, of Brewester Road, Bucknall, pleaded guilty to common assault.
James Hulse, mitigating, said Pattyson was fully cooperative in his police interview and accepted his behaviour was 'out of order'. He has since been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Mr Hulse said: "In his words, 'It does not excuse my behaviour but it does provide some sort of explanation as to why I react in the way I do'."
He explained that the child had been crying while on the phone to Pattyson, which caused him to lose his temper when he arrived at the school.
Mr Hulse continued: "He is now taking the right medication. A suspended sentence would have some teeth. There has been a noticeable change in the last two weeks. He seems to think before he acts."
However, District Judge Kevin Grego told Pattyson: "You pleaded guilty to an offence of common assault on Mr Swindells on May 9. There had been problems at the school that morning. You and your partner had been contacted and were told the child was going to have to leave the school, at least for the day.
"Very shortly afterwards, as seen on CCTV, you arrived. Mr Swindells and the child were on the steps. There was no verbal engagement.
"You simply walked up to him, caught his attention to turn to you and, in my judgement, in utterly cowardly fashion, you caught him by headbutting him before he could react to your presence, and with such force he went to the ground. On the way down you punched him repeatedly and he went down.
"This happened on school premises in front of the child and in front of other students. Public servants need to have confidence that when they are victims of crime the court will impose appropriate punishment and in this case the only appropriate sentence is prison for four months."
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