TEACHER Catherine Brandley has been told by a judge she should never work in the profession again.

The comment came from Judge Elgan Edwards after sentencing Mrs Brandley to a two-year conditional discharge at Chester Crown Court.

He passed the sentence because Mrs Brandley was unfit to serve 140 hours of community service imposed following her conviction for assault.

Mrs Brandley, aged 51, from Padgbury Lane, Congleton, was appealing against a conviction in May for assaulting a nine-year-old pupil.

The boy was suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and on medication.

She claimed she used "reasonable chastisement" of the boy during the incident last September, and denied physically assaulting him.

Mrs Brandley had "blotted an otherwise impeccable teaching record" by losing control momentarily, the Judge said.

He and his fellow magistrates were satisfied she had pushed the boy into a wall, and prodded him five or six times in the chest.

He enforced a £100 compensation order and appeal costs of £432, on top of £750 costs for the original hearing.

NUT regional officer Andy Kent said after the verdict that the case should have been dealt with internally and not have come to court.

Teaching was a noble and privileged profession, he added, and the case raised questions of how teachers "can be made safe and to stop this happening to others."

"It has been a very bad day for her, but I believe teachers will have nothing but support for her," he added.

The court heard the mother-of-four had been teaching since 1971, and was experienced with disruptive children.

The nine-year-old boy admitted misbehaving in class, said the prosecution, and was spoken to by Mrs Brandley in the reception area.

"She grabbed hold of his jumper and pushed him back against a door," said prosecutor Gordon Hennell.

"She then said I am going to put the fear of God into you,' and poked him five or six times while telling him off."

Mrs Brandley denied pushing or poking the boy.