John Summerfield was described as a “caring teacher” A head teacher has been fined £20,000 for failing to ensure the safety of his students after one of them fell through a school roof on Merseyside.
John Summerfield led a group of “slightly inebriated” sixth-formers on to the roof of Sacred Heart Catholic College in Crosby in August 2008, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
Student Joel Murray, 18, fell through a skylight and fractured his skull.
Summerfield, 65, was convicted of breaching the Health and Safety Act.
He was also ordered to pay costs of £22,708.
The head teacher had taken a group of 10 to 12 students on the roof to show them renovation work during an A-levels result party.
He warned the pupils to avoid the skylight but Mr Murray stepped on it, fell through and landed in the corridor 8ft (2.5m) below.
‘Moment of folly’
As well as fracturing his skull, Mr Murray also broke his ribs, perforated an eardrum and suffered permanent damage to his eye.
Kevin Donnelly, prosecuting, said: “Nobody was drunk but it is possible they were slightly affected by drink, possibly slightly inebriated.
“The very act of taking the students to that area was a breach of his duty of care.
“He failed to give appropriate consideration to the risks involved.”
Judge Nigel Gilmour QC, sentencing, said Summerfield’s actions were a “moment of folly” and that he “didn’t really think of the safety aspects of taking them on the roof”.
He added that it was “an isolated incident in an otherwise distinguished career”.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.