A teacher convicted of drug dealing, theft and drink driving has been barred indefinitely from teaching.

Santiago Martinez, a languages teacher at Royds School in Leeds from 2012 until his arrest in December 2015, admitted the offences, which a Teaching Regulation Agency panel concluded amounted to both unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.

It heard that he was jailed for three years in November 2017 at Leeds Crown Court for possessing with intent to supply cocaine, MDMA and ketamine, and for conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Teacher jailed for drug dealing

Mr Martinez was also in 2016 convicted and fined for driving while over the alcohol limit and for stealing toiletries worth £32.96 from Boots.

The panel said that it “considered that Mr Martinez’s behaviour in committing the offences could affect the public confidence in the teaching profession, given the influence that teachers may have on pupils, parents and others in the community”. 

It concluded that it would not be appropriate to allow him to apply in future for a review of the prohibition.

The education’s secretary’s representative, Dawn Dandy, accepted the panel’s recommendations.