Drink-drive teacher crashed into tree on way to work

A science teacher drank half a bottle of wine before school and then crashed his car into a tree, a professional conduct panel heard.

John Lees, who was a teacher at Brookfield Community School in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, was almost double the drink-drive limit when he was breathalysed after the crash.

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) has now published a professional conduct report, which says Lees admitted a charge of drink-driving at Chesterfield Magistrates' Court in 2023.

But it decided not to impose a prohibition order - which would have prevented him teaching - saying it was satisfied it was a "one-off event" and Lees was remorseful.

The panel heard Lees drank wine in the morning before he set off to work.

After the crash on 16 January 2023, a breath test found he had 61 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

He pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was disqualified from driving for 17 months and fined.

The TRA report, published in March, said his actions "could affect public confidence in the teaching profession, given the influence teachers may have on pupils, parents and others in the community".

It added: "Had Mr Lees made it into the school on the day of the incident, he would have been under the influence of alcohol.

"Mr Lees commented that as a parent he would not be comfortable if his children were being taught by someone who taught whilst under the influence of alcohol.

"The panel felt that this admission demonstrated insight. The panel was satisfied that the incident was a one-off event."

Lees told the panel he had been under stress at work, but did not tell his family and instead started "self-medicating with alcohol".

He has since left the school, where he worked for 20 years, and took a temporary position at another school, which is not named in the report.

His new employer provided references, which said he had acted professionally in his new role and had proved to be such an asset that he had since been offered a permanent position.

The TRA recommended Lees should not be given a prohibition order.

Chief executive Marc Cavey, who made the final decision on behalf of the secretary of state, agreed, saying a "repetition was unlikely".

He wrote: "I consider that the publication of the findings made would be sufficient to send an appropriate message to the teacher as to the standards of behaviour that were not acceptable and that the publication would meet the public interest requirement of declaring proper standards of the profession."

Both Brookfield Community School and Redhill Academy Trust, which runs the school, were contacted for comment.

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