A north-east mum has told how her severely autistic son was left “traumatised” after being assaulted at a swimming pool by a school worker.
Pupil support assistant Amanda Thomson, or Bellew, “lost the plot” with the nine-year-old and threw a toy, hitting him on the head.
The 50-year-old lost her job as a result of the incident.
She was fined £400 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court after previously being found guilty of striking the boy on the head with a ball and a plastic toy.
The incident happened at an Aberdeenshire school for children with additional support needs on February 27.
Speaking after the sentencing the boy’s mum said: “I put him to school thinking he’s in a safe environment so to actually be told somebody who’s meant to care for him and nurture him has assaulted him is horrible.
“He can speak but he can’t communicate so he couldn’t tell me what happened, but he was really quiet that day when I picked him up.
“I think he was traumatised by it.
“He’s got profound learning difficulties, speech and language disorder.”
Defence agent Chris Maitland said: “This does appear to have been a complete and utter one-off.”
He added his client “lost the plot for a few seconds” and had now lost her job as a result.
She had also suffered from stress, depression and anxiety.
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Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill said: “During the course of your employment you lost control and assaulted this child by throwing a plastic toy at him while he was in a swimming pool.
“As a consequence of this offence you’ve lost your employment and you’re unlikely to work with children again.”
She added she believed it was an “isolated incident” and fined Bellew, of Kellands Road, Inverurie, £400.
The boy’s mum described the sentence as a “disgrace”.
She added: “It seemed to me it was all about pity for her because she’s lost her job. I know a lot of people probably think she should have been put to jail for it.
“I’m not sure about that, but I certainly think more than a £400 fine, at least some community service. She should have been made an example of.”
An Aberdeenshire Council spokeswoman said: “We note the decision by the court. We can confirm that the pupil support assistant is no longer a council employee.
“We would like to again apologise for the upset this incident has caused to the individual and the family concerned.
“Through the school Aberdeenshire Council has provided ongoing support and dialogue to the family during this difficult time.”
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