A teaching assistant who assaulted her wife causing “significant injuries” can continue to work in schools but with a reprimand on her record, a professional standards panel has ruled. Sarah Norton, who works with children at Oakfield Primary School in Cardiff, was convicted of actual bodily harm against Roxy McCraig at Cardiff Magistrates' Court in February 2022, court documents show.
An Education Workforce Council (EWC) fitness to practise committee on July 5 heard the assault happened at a property in Hereford Street, Grangetown, on November 6, 2021. Jessica Hocking, presenting officer for the EWC, said the altercation was a “domestic incident”, alcohol was involved, and “the complainant was left with significant injuries”.
Miss Hocking said Norton had “recklessly injured her spouse” and alcohol was “involved" but acknowledged that while Norton had pleaded guilty to ABH in court accounts differed. “The key difference in Miss Norton’s account is that she was trying to get into the property, but not being allowed in by the victim, and in pushing the door hit the victim’s head,” Ms Hocking told the panel.
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Quoting the victim Ms Hocking added that Norton’s wife’s account was: “She started banging at the door and shouting in an aggressive manner. I do not know how many my head and face went into the wall. Sarah was kicking and punching me to the left side.”
Norton’s solicitor Leah Ellison said her client had entered a guilty plea in court but on the basis that her actions had been reckless and not intentional and this was accepted by the court and reflected in the relatively lenient fine she received. “She accepted she caused harm to her former partner but did not intend harm,” Ms Ellison told the panel. “She was found guilty on a reckless basis only. But this was a serious offence and Miss Norton accepts that.”
She told the hearing it was “a push/pull altercation at a door which caused injury”, that it was out of character, a “one-off”, and a first ever offence for Norton. She has not seen her former spouse since and is “exploring divorce”, the hearing was told.
The teaching assistant, who works with pupils aged seven to 11 at Oakfield Primary, had a previously unblemished record, the committee was told. In a glowing written reference Oakfield’s head teacher David Harris described her “exceptionally reliable and professional” and “an excellent role model”. Norton also teaches children swimming in Dinas Powis and Bridgend with Swim Kidz, who sent a character reference describing her as “confident, kind, calm, and friendly”.
Telling the panel of her remorse Norton said she realised straightaway she had to tell her employer and did so as soon as possible. “I spent a night in a cell and it was horrendous. I was crying about going back to work and how it would affect things,” she told the hearing.
Norton faced two allegations at the day-long EWC hearing, both of which she admitted and both of which the panel found proven. The allegations were that as a registered person she had been convicted of “a relevant offence” while employed as a teaching assistant at Oakfield Primary School in that on January 17, 2022, she was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, for an offence committed on November 6, 2021, and that a consequence of this on February 21, 2022, was fined £270 and ordered to pay compensation of £540. These facts constituted a ‘relevant offence’ meaning “a conviction in the United Kingdom for a criminal offence, other than one having no material relevance to a person’s fitness to be a registered person in the relevant category of registration”.
The panel placed a reprimand on Norton’s registration, which will stay on her record for two years, during which she can continue to work in schools. Committee chair Andy Liptrot said members had taken into consideration Norton’s “clear remorse” and evidence of some provocation” for the incident as well as the support from her employers and family.
But he said the panel took into account the “seriousness of injury caused” and the “high level of alcohol” involved. Norton has the right to appeal the panel’s decision to the High Court within 28 days.
