A MULTI-academy Trust has warned aggressive behaviour towards staff ‘will not be tolerated’ after a parent was brought before a court for threatening a teacher.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, threatened to ‘smash a teacher’s face in’ at a west Cumbrian school, which was almost put into a lockdown due to the man's aggression.

He was fined at Workington Magistrates’ Court on Monday after he admitted causing a disturbance on school premises.  

Outlining the case, prosecutor Pamela Fee said the school involved in the incident, which is run by the Cumbria Education Trust, had received a phone call from a pupil’s mum, asking to speak to a teacher.

The woman said she had received a message from her daughter, saying the teacher had upset her. The pupil’s father could be heard ‘becoming aggressive’, saying he ‘would have that teacher’.

He said he would come and collect his daughter. He arrived on the school grounds and was speeding along the front of the school.

A member of staff was stood with the pupil with the door open to let her out. Her father pressed the buzzer and was trying to gain access to the school.

He was shouting, ‘open that f*****g door’. Two members of staff went to speak to him and told him his behaviour was not appropriate.

The father had previously been told that he was banned from the site. He said he wanted to see the member of staff who made his daughter cry.

He said, “I will make her f*****g cry, I will smash her face in.” He then said he would wait until school finishes and then he would ‘smash her face in’.

The man then went back to his car and ‘sped off at a ridiculous speed’. Police were called by reception staff.

During police interview, the man denied the offence. He said he got a call from his daughter and had gone to school to collect her and speak to her about why she was upset.

He said he rang on the buzzer a few times but there was no answer. He denied threatening staff and said he wasn’t aware he had been banned from the school site.

Ms Fee said staff had contemplated putting the school into a lockdown because of the aggression shown by the defendant.

The man, who was not legally represented, told magistrates: “I went up and rang the buzzer. There was no answer for five minutes. I knocked on the window. I wasn’t shouting. I was being assertive to the teacher who came to see me.

“The teacher gave me permission to go on the school premises but not in the school building. I’m guilty for going  to collect my child.

“I want this out of the way. I’m willing to take responsibility. Something needs done with the school due to problems occurring with my child and others.

“She’s getting pulled out of lessons for nails, hair colour, piercings.

“I just don’t want my child picked on. Why should she be? The teachers need to be dealt with. They need to treat every child the same.”

Following the man's conviction, a spokesperson for the Cumbria Education Trust said: “The safety of our young people and staff is always of paramount importance.

“Any aggressive behaviour - verbal, physical or in writing - which causes staff to feel uncomfortable or threatened is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”

The man was fined £120 by magistrates and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 victim surcharge.