Teacher who supplied child with alcohol fined £500

A TEACHER who supplied alcohol to a child aged under 18 in school has been fined £500 with further court costs as a judge rebuked him for damaging the trust in his profession and trying to shift the blame onto the pupil.

- ABBIE WIGHTWICK Education editor

Richard Pugh outside Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates' Court.

Richard James Pugh was head of science at Llangatwg Community School in Neath when he messaged the child on social media and then gave her a Christmas card signed from “your best buddy” with a kiss and gifts including a canned cocktail, Merthyr Magistrates' Court heard.

Giving evidence by video link, the child, who cannot be identified, told how Pugh had left her feeling anxious and isolated because of his unwanted attention to her.

She told the court he put a gift bag in her school bag containing a can of Malibu and pineapple, biscuits and cold coffee during school and had also given her the signed Christmas card.

The child told police in evidence read out to the court on November 19: “The first week we went back he gave me gifts after Christmas. A packet of digestive biscuits, two iced coffees and a can of Malibu because over Christmas he asked what I was doing and I said I had a Malibu with my parents.”