A maths and science teacher has been struck off the General Teaching Council for Scotland register after court convictions for charges including sexual assault of a woman in her own home, breach of the peace, driving under the influence of alcohol and, in a separate case, stealing his wife’s driving licence.
David Morrissey, 48, who changed his named from David Hatcher following the offences in 2010, had been convicted at Hamilton Sheriff Court in two separate cases. Sheriff Thomas Miller placed him on the Sex Offenders Register and ordered him to serve three years’ probation in the first case.
He was sacked from his employment by South Lanarkshire Council in early 2011.
The GTCS fitness-to-teach panel this week pointed out that Morrissey had shown no remorse for his actions - nor had he taken any steps to address his behaviour.
In a separate hearing, a former head of music, drama and design was reprimanded by the GTCS for lying to his employers and using threatening language on Facebook.
Derek McGlone admitted all three charges brought against him, including lying to staff at Calderhead High in Shotts about having run over and killed a girl to get out of coming to work. He said he could give “no reasonable explanation” for his actions.
In a statement read by GTCS presenting officer Niall McLean, Calderhead High head Joyce Kilmartin recalled a phone conversation with McGlone on the day of the alleged accident in June 2008 in which he described the incident in detail, including feeling the wheels of his car go over the girl’s body.
In April 2010, he told another lie - that he was unable to attend school because he was stuck in London due to the ash cloud.
McGlone also admitted posting threatening messages on Facebook in 2011, after discovering statements made against him by other members of staff relating to the alleged road accident in 2008.
He said the messages had been a “drunken rant” and he was “embarrassed and sorry” about them being taken as threatening.
The panel was told McGlone had described his former colleagues as “bitches” he would “hunt down”, and said “the challenged feel threatened by the gifted”.
