AN angry father from Wirral who attacked his son's teacher has today been convicted of assault causing actual bodily harm.

A jury at Liverpool Crown Court took just ten minutes to unanimously convict 51-year-old James Buckley, of Pensby.

Judge Brian Lewis told Buckley: "You have been convicted in the face of overwhelming evidence of a serious unprovoked attack on a teacher in the grounds of his own school."

He further remanded him on bail until July 26 to enable a pre-sentence report to be prepared but warned him all sentencing options would be open including custody.

The jury cleared Buckley's wife, Tracey, of the same offence and she was discharged from the dock.

During the trial the court heard that Buckley punched teacher Stuart Devereux up to 10 times to the head after his wife, Tracey Buckley, went to Pensby High School for Boys to discuss how their son Matt had been disciplined for not sitting where he was told.

After leaving the meeting on October 22 it was alleged that she used her 4x4 to block Mr Devereux’s vehicle in the Irby Road car park until her husband arrived.

When James Buckley turned up he ran from his van to Mr Devereux's Ford Focus and wrenched open the door, screaming: "You won’t bully me", before raining blows down on him.

The couple, both of Haddon Drive, Pensby, pleaded not guilty to assault.

CCTV footage played to jurors showed Tracey Buckley and her son getting in her car, but only leaving the car park after seeing Mr Devereux leave the school.

She then remained in the car park entrance, blocking traffic and Mr Devereux's car, for more than a minute before her husband arrived.

It was claimed that Tracey Buckley was jointly involved because she had blocked in Mr Devereux "knowing full well" that her husband was on his way.

James Buckley can then be seen running across to Mr Devereux's vehicle. Mr Devereux told how Buckley opened his door an was screaming at him. He felt a hard thump on the side of his head and while he leaned across the passenger seat buckle was raining punches at him.

Mr Devereux, who has worked at the school since 1989, said the attack only came to an end when another parent intervened.

He was treated at hospital for swelling to his jaw, a graze to his ear and bruising and suffered headaches for four days. He told how he had never had a complaint in all his 20 years teaching.

James Buckley said that he had only driven into the car park after seeing his wife's vehicle in the entrance.

He said he foolishly approached Mr Devereux as he wanted to ask why he was bullying Matt. He said he tapped on his window but he glared right through him. He opened his door and again asked him why he was bullying his sons.

He thought the teacher was coming out and raised a silver implement, which he now believes was a mobile phone. "I just saw it was a glint of silver and he was going to strike me with it."

"I thought he was going to attack me, no matter what. I totally believed he was going to attack me. I threw a short right punch that hit him t the side of his right cheek.

"Then I grabbed him on the scruff of the collar with my left hand and pushed as hard as I could. His right arm was waving around at me.

"I punched him once and then I may have hit him when I grabbed him, so it possibly could have been two punches," he said.

The incident ended when a female parent intervened.

Tracey Buckley told the court she had no idea Mr Devereux was behind her in the car park.

When asked why she had remained in the car park entrance for 82 seconds, she said: "I don't believe there was an opportunity to safely go across that road.

She said that after her husband arrived she gesticulated to him indicating they should drive home.

But she turned her car around after her son jumped out and she noticed her husband’s van was stationary.

Mrs Buckley insisted she was unaware of any incident with her husband at Mr Devereux's car. She said the first thing she noticed was a woman with long dark hair holding her husband.

She said: "When I got out of my car she was telling him to calm down. He said: "I am calm, let go of me.""