Pupil says sorry for shooting teacher

A PUPIL in the Dales who shot a teaching assistant has been forced to apologise by police but no decision has yet been made about his future at the school, the Yorkshire Post has learned.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Mar 2011, 06:00 BST

The youngster, believed to be in his early teens, has been suspended ever since shooting a female teaching assistant from Wensleydale School in Leyburn.

North Yorkshire Police yesterday confirmed that the teaching assistant had not wanted to press charges, but officers decided to deal with the pupil through restorative justice.

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“The teaching assistant did not want to make a criminal complaint against the youth involved”, a spokeswoman said.

“An investigation began and the youth has been dealt with by a restorative justice agreement. He has been spoken to by officers in front of his parents and has written a letter of apology to the victim.

“She is happy with that.”

Police say the teaching assistant was shot with an air rifle on Leyburn’s Maythorne Estate, around the corner from the school which caters for about 500 youngsters from the deeply rural areas of Richmondshire, but was not badly hurt.

When contacted yesterday, the school issued a brief statement through North Yorkshire County Council, the local education authority.

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A spokesman said: “Wensleydale School expects high standards of behaviour from its pupils, and when an incident like this occurs the school takes the appropriate action in line with the advice and guidance on disciplinary matters issued by the local authority.

“In this case, the disciplinary process is still continuing, and so the student concerned remains excluded.”