A school principal who was imprisoned for assaulting his deputy with a wrench during a romantic conflict has publicly discussed his downfall for the first time.
Dr. Anthony John Felton, aged 54, physically attacked Richard Pyke, aged 51, multiple times on the head upon discovering that they were both involved with the same female teacher. The court revealed that Felton had a child with the woman without his wife’s knowledge, who also worked at the school, and became enraged upon learning about Mr. Pyke’s involvement.
The incident took place at St Joseph’s Catholic School and Sixth Form Centre in Port Talbot, south Wales, leaving Mr. Pyke with a head injury necessitating hospital treatment. Felton was subsequently sentenced to two years and four months in prison for attempted grievous bodily harm with intent. However, he served only five months and was released in the summer of the following year.
Felton, in his first public statement about the conviction, expressed deep shame and admitted that the custodial sentence for the attack was appropriate. The altercation occurred while his romantic rival was seated in an office at the school.
Both educators were previously highly respected at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic and considered each other friends. Felton, who fathered a child with the female teacher during their affair, discovered her secret relationship with Mr. Pyke after a school trip to Auschwitz.
Regretting his violent reaction, Felton acknowledged the consequences of his actions. He recounted his apprehension about potential harm in prison, leading to a nine-day suicide watch upon his incarceration.
Despite expressing a desire to apologize to the victim, Felton was subject to an indefinite restraining order preventing contact with his former deputy. He was promoted to headteacher in 2023 after serving as head of the mathematics department for 17 years, and the assault on Mr. Pyke occurred during his second year as headteacher.
Following his early release under the Home Office Detention Curfew Scheme, Felton was electronically tagged. However, his wish to make amends remained unfulfilled due to the restraining order against contacting the victim.
