A science teacher who used a meat cleaver in classes to bring his subject to life for pupils endured '11 months of hell' after he was charged with bringing a bladed article to school.
Jonathan Abbott, 35, kept the kitchen implement in his desk to teach children about subjects including the splitting of the atom.
But he was reported to senior staff at Mildenhall College Academy in Suffolk when a supply teacher found the cleaver in an unlocked drawer while he was on holiday and the matter was reported to police.
Dr Abbott was suspended and forced to attend a series of hearings at court until the Crown Prosecution Service finally announced it was offering no evidence this week.
If convicted he could have faced up to four years in jail and a £5,000 fine.
Speaking from his home in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, today, he said: 'I am obviously relieved and happy. It has been 11 months of hell.
'I am somebody who loves my job and I have not been able to work, so it has been very difficult for me.
'I was charged with having a bladed article within a school – however, it is a legitimate defence if you have it for an educational purpose or you have authority.
'From day one I said it was for an educational purpose. I have been in crown court four times and magistrates court once. Throughout that time, nobody has looked at the case until now and said 'Actually, you are right'.
'The CPS admitted yesterday that they had reviewed the case and it showed there was significant evidence it was being used for an educational purpose throughout.'
Cleaved.
Cleaved.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
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oldr_n_wsr
- Posts: 10838
- Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2010 1:59 am
Re: Cleaved.
Splitting atoms with a meat cleaver. Why didn't I think of that? 
Re: Cleaved.
Did he have the support of his school administration and the other teachers? Or?
yrs,
rubato
yrs,
rubato
Re: Cleaved.
rubato wrote:When I was in 8th grade I was very interested in making models so I'd bought a razor saw to mike fine cuts with. Someone saw it and thought it must be a weapon so the principal came and confiscated it and I got the 3rd degree. And then I got home and my parents said "oh that's just stupid!". And they chewed her out for being an idiot.
Looked like this:
Fuckers. The world is replete with ignorant hysterical busybodies lacking in judgement.
yrs,
rubato
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Cleaved.
In person you can see that the edge has saw teeth.
But no one answered my question: Did he have the support of the admin.s and other teachers or did they all let him swing in the wind?
yrs,
rubato
But no one answered my question: Did he have the support of the admin.s and other teachers or did they all let him swing in the wind?
yrs,
rubato
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Econoline
- Posts: 9607
- Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2010 6:25 pm
- Location: DeKalb, Illinois...out amidst the corn, soybeans, and Republicans
Re: Cleaved.
It's also pretty small:rubato wrote:In person you can see that the edge has saw teeth.
I used to have one of these too; good for cutting plastic and balsa.
People who are wrong are just as sure they're right as people who are right. The only difference is, they're wrong.
— God @The Tweet of God
— God @The Tweet of God
Re: Cleaved.
You get nice sharp straight cuts with it. Clean edges.Econoline wrote:It's also pretty small:rubato wrote:In person you can see that the edge has saw teeth.
I used to have one of these too; good for cutting plastic and balsa.
yrs,
rubato