Head guilty over school roof fall

John SummerfieldJohn Summerfield had told the pupils to avoid the skylight

A head teacher who took “slightly inebriated” students on to a school roof has been found guilty of failing to ensure their safety after one fell.

John Summerfield led sixth formers on to the roof of Sacred Heart Catholic College in Crosby, Merseyside, during an A-level results party.

Student Joel Murray fractured his skull after tumbling through the skylight, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Summerfield, 65, was convicted of breaching the Health and Safety Act.

The jury was told the group of 10 to 12 students had consumed no more than two glasses of wine and beer during the celebrations in August 2008.

Even though Summerfield had told them not to step on the skylight, Mr Murray, then aged 18, placed his foot on it, tumbled through and landed in the corridor 2.5m (8ft) below.

He perforated an eardrum, broke his ribs, and suffered permanent damage to his eye, as well as fracturing his skull.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

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