Headteacher jailed for attacking his deputy over ‘sexual jealousy’

A headteacher who attacked his deputy with a wrench at school due to “overwhelming sexual jealousy” has been jailed.

Anthony John Felton previously pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Richard Pyke, 51.

The 54-year-old armed himself with the tool and sought out his colleague – attacking him from behind.

Ieuan Rees, for the prosecution, said Felton believed Mr Pyke had slept with another teacher, with whom he had recently been in a relationship.

Felton was sentenced to 28 months in prison at Swansea Crown Court on Friday.

He was also given a restraining order.

After the incident at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Comprehensive School in Aberavon, South Wales, on 5 March this year, Felton threw the wrench away and left the school premises in his car.

He then sent an email to his staff, apologising “for the problems and distress his actions were likely to cause”.

Sentencing Felton, Judge Paul Thomas KC said the attack was the result of “overwhelming sexual jealousy”.

“That a headmaster of a school should take and use a weapon to try to badly injure their deputy, is I suspect, entirely without precedent,” he said.

“You are more than intelligent enough to realise when you plotted this bizarre attack that the impact and ramifications would be immense and far-reaching.”

The judge said the attack “was in effect an ambush,” with Mr Pyke believing his attacker to be his friend.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Pyke told the court he would live with the attack for the rest of his life, saying it had taken “what made me, me”.

“I trusted you completely,” he said.

While John Hipkin KC, for the defence, said Felton had recently suffered due to the death of his mother and a cancer diagnosis, the judge argued his actions were due to jealousy.

He said: “Ultimately, the trigger for your act of extreme violence was of your own doing, the overwhelming sexual jealousy arising from an adulterous affair and the uncontrollable rage it created in you.”

Following the incident, police said Mr Pyke was discharged from hospital after suffering minor injuries.

Abul Hussain, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Anthony Felton struck a defenceless man repeatedly to the head with a metal weapon, demonstrating he had an intent to cause his victim really serious harm.

“The level of unprovoked violence, from a professional in the workplace, was shocking.

“Too often we see attacks of this nature result in life-changing injuries or fatal consequences, and thankfully, that was not the result in this case.”

Felton was appointed headteacher in September 2023, according to an annual report from the governing body.