Science master Peter Harvey hit boy with dumbbell after trying to restore classroom discipline, court told

This article is more than 10 years old

This article is more than 10 years old

A science teacher shouted "Die, die, die!" as he beat one of his pupils around the head with a dumbbell, a court heard today.

Peter Harvey, 50, attacked the 14-year-old boy with the 3kg (6.6lb) weight after he confronted the child for misbehaving in class, Nottingham crown court heard. The boy cannot be named for legal reasons.

A pupil filmed the moments leading up to the attack, at All Saints' Catholic school in Mansfield, on 8 July last year.

Students could be heard calling Harvey a "psycho" after he tried to restore discipline during his science lesson.

Stuart Rafferty QC, prosecuting, told the jury that in December 2008 Harvey was sent home from the school after telling its education adviser he might harm somebody. He stayed off work until April 2009, when he returned to the classroom.

Rafferty said Harvey had been "well, happy and in a positive frame of mind" on the morning of the attack.

He said: "A girl who had behaviour difficulties was being disruptive and was messing about with a whiteboard and then started messing about with a window blind.

"He told her to stop, and there were words between them. He seems to have pulled her away from the window by her bag on her shoulder and shouted at her, and it was alleged he kicked her.

"She left the classroom in a state of tears, and some of the class took exception to the way she had been treated and started calling him a psycho.

"He didn't seem to respond to that and told the class to get on with their work.

"The boy began to mess about with a wooden metre rule. He was wandering about the classroom with it, swordfighting with another pupil, that sort of high jinks."

Harvey denies attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He has admitted a charge of causing grievous bodily harm without intent. The trial continues.