The Sun, London, 30 January 1969

'Caning' teacher cleared

A TEACHER who gave a 12-year-old boy three strokes of the cane was cleared yesterday of assault.

Mr Derek Williams, aged 36, of Green Street Green, Orpington, said the boy was caned because he failed to write out pages from a text-book as a punishment.

He told the magistrates at Balham court: "It was done with force but it was not excessive. It was the same technique that I use when I cane any boy, and after the first stroke I tempered the wind a bit because he was so upset."

Mr Williams had been summoned by the boy's father, Mr Patrick Hayes, of Peckham, South East London, who claimed the caning was excessive.

The boy, Gary, is a pupil at Peckham Manor School.

Dr John Morris, of King's College Hospital, who examined Gary on the day of the caning, said: "In my view the strokes were administered with some force."