20-year grudge over caning sees ex-pupil thrash teacher

LONDON - A Briton, who harboured a 20-year-old grudge for being caned in school, viciously attacked his former teacher in an Indian restaurant after saying that he had been beaten up when he was six and had been “waiting for all these years” to meet up.

Kieran Heakin has been left deaf in one ear and scarred for life by 26-year-old Jermaine Bullen who attacked him at the Kabana in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, Daily Mail reported.

Bullen approached Heakin and said: “Do you remember me? You beat me when I was six years old and I have been waiting all these years to meet up with you.”

Then he set upon his former teacher, punching and kicking him to the ground.

Bolton Crown Court was told how Bullen confronted Heakin. He told the victim: “You will remember me and you will remember my father - you used to bully me at school.”

Bullen, who was jailed for three years, carried out the revenge attack during during a chance encounter when he spotted Heakin waiting for a takeaway curry.

Heakin, now the headmaster of St John’s RC Primary, in Burnley, suffered a broken nose, a broken cheekbone and ribs, a fractured eye socket and a broken jaw. A teacher for the past 34 years, Heakin had to have four metal plates put his skull and is now permanently deaf in one ear and has no sense of smell and taste.

“In spite of my injuries I have forgiven Jermaine and I don’t want any revenge. He lost his self control for a moment and will pay for that for many years to come. I remember him as an infant but I have not seen him for 19 years.

“He was expelled from schools many times. I don’t like to dwell on the incident or the after-effects. As a committed Christian I have decided to forgive him. That is my job - I spend a lot of time telling children about forgiveness,” Heakin was quoted as saying.