A “protective” father “stormed up” to his child’s school and assaulted the headteacher and his deputy, a court heard on Friday.

Russell Bradshaw, aged 49, had been banned from Pembroke School after incidents in the past.

Bradshaw, of Wavell Crescent, Pembroke Dock, had written to the school asking, among other things, that his child was not kept in the school’s internal exclusion unit (IEU).

Peter Lloyd, prosecuting, told magistrates that on January 17th Bradshaw’s child had been placed in the IEU. The pupil absconded at break time and when the child returned, its behaviour deteriorated.

When teachers said the pupil would be sent home, the child started banging its head on the desk and telling staff “I’m not going to go home. You don’t know what it’s like”.

Staff rang the child’s mother, first to ask her to come to the school and later to say they were concerned the child was going to hurt itself.

Mr Bradshaw accompanied his wife to the school.

The couple did not wait at reception but headed to the IEU. On hearing they were on their way, their child became hysterical.

“I have never seen such distress and panic in a child,”

said assistant headteacher Susan Birch. She went out to intercept the couple and explain the situation.

“My sole aim was not letting Mr Bradshaw get into the IEU because of his child’s fear and panic,” she said.

In the ensuing 36 seconds Bradshaw “charged forward”

and pushed her against the door to the IEU which she then blocked. He jolted it hard against her back, forcing it open.

When headteacher Frank Ciccotti prevented him from entering the unit Bradshaw “lunged forward” and pushed him backwards through the door.

Mrs Birch suffered aches in her legs, neck, shoulders and lower back for several weeks as a result of the incident.

Giving evidence Bradshaw said that he had a “very good relationship” with his child and was the child’s official carer.

He said he had gone to the IEU as he was worried his child was going to hurt itself and he knew how to calm the child. His main aim was to get to his child, who he could hear crying.

Simon Mumford, defending, said that Bradshaw had used reasonable force in self defence of his child, who he believed was self-harming.

He said Mrs Birch’s attempt to keep Bradshaw in a room away from his child was itself an “act of violence”.

“Here is a tattooed bald man who weighs 19 stone,”

he said. “That doesn’t mean he’s guilty.”

Magistrates took over an hour to convict Bradshaw of two counts of common assault.

“In both these cases we believe that the defendant was the aggressor and not acting in self defence,” said the presiding magistrate.

Bradshaw will be sentenced on April 12th.