Matthew Paul Porch was nearly three times over the legal limit when police stopped him after they saw him swerving his car and nearly hitting a kerb
A teacher who drove to his work Christmas party and then got behind the wheel of his car while over the legal alcohol limit has been reprimanded by a professional body.
Matthew Paul Porch pleaded guilty to driving while over the legal alcohol limit at Cardiff Magistrates Court and was fined and banned from driving for 23 months, a professional standards hearing was told
Porch, a teacher with more than 20 years experience, told the hearing on December 2 of his deep shame and remorse saying it had led to him leaving the job he loved at Millbank Primary in Cardiff.
He said he had drunk “one or two glasses of wine” at the staff Christmas party at The Village Hotel in Cardiff on December 16 last year, had intended to take a taxi home and didn’t even recall getting into his car. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.
The teacher’s reputation was left in “tatters” and he said he was haunted by thoughts that he could have hurt or killed someone while driving under the influence.
He was “glassy eyed and slurring” when police stopped his car which they noticed was swerving and almost hit a kerb, the in-person hearing was told.
When officers breathalysed the teacher they found he was almost three times over the legal limit. On January 14 this year Porch was convicted at Cardiff Magistrates Court of driving with excess alcohol.
He was disqualified from driving for 23 months, sentenced to a community order, a rehabilitation activity and fined £100 on February 4.
Giving evidence in person at the fitness to practise hearing at the EWC headquarters in Cardiff, Porch expressed his deep regret and apologised for his actions. He said he’d had counselling and taken action to change his behaviour since.
He had been allowed to return to his job at Millbank Primary with a warning but felt he had no option but to resign in August this year.
He said he felt he could not give his pupils the 100% they deserved as a result of his actions and has been unemployed since.
Describing the night of the party Porch, who is in his 50s and has a daughter, told the panel: “I intended to get a taxi home. I had a glass of wine or two and the rest of the evening is a blur…I can’t recall getting into the car.
“The guilt and shame I feel following the stupid decision to drive, that was difficult to come to terms with. I am forever grateful that no-one was hurt or worse as a result of my actions.
He said he “loved” working at Millbank Primary for six years and had what he said were “great relationships” with children, parents and colleagues.
“I received incredible support from them during the darkest of times,” he told the hearing, adding, “This whole experience, I have never been involved in anything like this before. I have learned my lesson and will ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”
Asked by his defence counsel Jonathan Storey how he felt, Porch said he was ashamed and felt, “I have let everyone down”.
“(I feel) shame and it is just unconscionable. It is not something I have ever done before. It almost seems dream like looking back at it.
“I can’t express how sorry I am that I chose to do that. It just goes against everything I believe.
“The realisation that I could have left someone with serious injuies or could have killed somebody. I could have left my daughter without a father.
“Afterwards my immediate thoughts were of my role, my job, my standing in the very close knit community where I worked. The feeling that I had let everyone down.
“It was not behaviour someone in such a privileged position should have carried out. Believe me, I have been beating myself up about it ever since.”
Porch told the panel he missed his job, colleagues and pupils every day. He has no immediate plans to return to school teaching but hopes to return to the education profession one day.
He described how he was motivated to train as a teacher after negative experiences at school himself.
Growing up on a council estate in Aberkenfig he said he left school at 16 but returned to education as an adult. He did a degree at Kingston University on a course he was admitted on without A levels.
He then worked in a lab before doing a PGCE and working as a teacher in inner city primaries in London and a private school in England.
He came to Cardiff first as a supply teacher and was then offered a job at Millbank Primary where he had worked on supply.
Mr Storey told the panel: “He feels very deeply and sincerely ashamed. He has an unblemished record as a teacher and outside the profession.
“This isn’t a man with a history of making reckless decisions and criminality. This was a crimninal wrongoing on a night out. He has admitted it, and has insight. This was an isolated lapse.”
He added: “His professional reputation is in tatters as a result of his conviction” but despite that he was an “inspiring, inclusive and kind teacher.”
Finding the two allegations against Porch proved – that he was convicted of driving with excess alcohol and that this was a relevant offence regarding his fitness to practise as a registered teacher – the panel said it had taken into consideration the mitigating factors of his insight, remorse and action to ensure the behaviour was not repeated.
Porch said he has sought help, taken up running, lost weight and found healthy ways to deal with stress since the incident and conviction.
Panel chair Tracy Jones said he had also engaged fully with the EWC investigation and had a previously good record.
But she added: “He made poor choices and judgement. His conduct posed a risk to the pubic, though no harm came to pass.
“It was wrong and unaccaptable behaviour. There was a risk of harm to himself and others”
The panel imposed a repirmand on Porch’s registration as school teacher which will stay on his record for two years.
Porch has the right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days.
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