LEADING anti-gun campaigners say that Linda Walker should not keep her teaching job.
The mother-of-three, who fired a pellet gun near youths she claimed had vandalised her family home, was freed by the Court of Appeal in London last week.
Although quashing her sentence, the judges did not overturn her convictions for affray and a firearms offence.
Mrs Walker now faces three separate hearings to determine whether she can continue teaching.
Campaign group Mothers Against Guns, which is currently calling for a mandatory five-year sentence for firearm possession, said that the special needs teacher's convictions should bar her from the classroom.
Michelle Forbes, the group's vice-chairwoman, whose son Leon was shot dead outside her home, said: "She has argued in mitigation that something inside her just snapped. If someone, particularly Mrs Walker, who has 25 years of experience with children with special needs, could just snap then I would have questions about whether she could snap again.
"Teachers need to deal with behaviour problems every day. Where were her coping mechanisms and her training when this happened?
"The local authority have to think whether it is the right thing for her to stay in the job. It will be on their consciences about whether she continues as a teacher, given she has a conviction which is not even spent."
Campaign
The 48-year-old teacher was arrested following the incident outside her house on August last year, when she fired the gas-powered pistol at the ground near the foot of 17-year-old Robert McKiernan.
The Walker family claims McKiernan and other youths were involved in a long-running nuisance campaign against them, a claim which he denies.
The teacher, who has been suspended from her job at Salford's New Park High School, faces a disciplinary hearing to determine if she can keep her job.
Her case has also been referred to the Department for Education and Skills, which will determine if her convictions raise child protection concerns. She will also be subject to a hearing by the General Teaching Council, to rule if she has breached their code of conduct.
Her supporters still hope that they will be able to overturn her convictions by making a direct appeal to the Attorney General.
Friend Lisa Davies said that Mrs Walker should not be banned from teaching - and argued that she would not put her pupils in any danger. "We're all in favour of getting guns off the street, but I don't think the air pistol Linda had qualifies," she said.
Mrs Walker has told how she received hundreds of supporting letters, including messages from her pupils and also from farmer Tony Martin, who was jailed for shooting dead a burglar on his property.
Despite undergoing a humiliating strip search and suffering an anxiety attack, she said she had been well treated by staff at Styal prison.
Should Linda Walker keep her job? Have your say.
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Anthony, Accrington,Lancs (09/05/2005 at 11:29)
Jen, Manchester (09/05/2005 at 13:08)
Rachel, Lytham (09/05/2005 at 13:38)
Mrs Forbes obviously does not realise what it is like to be constantly targeted in your own home. To feel you can never go to sleep in case something happens and to be constantly on edge for what happens next and whether her family or herself would be physically hurt. This woman is not going to snap during her job. Nor is she going to take her air pistol into work (I doubt she still has one) and wave it at the children if they don't try hard enough. They would be mad to let an experienced teacher go over something like this when there have been no problems in work-time or on work premises. Mrs Walker has NEVER argued she was right to do what she did, but that it was very much in the heat of the moment after a long period of abuse - and it is for this reason she has had so much support. If she loses her job those she teaches will lose out even more than she will.
BigK, Stockport (09/05/2005 at 15:06)
Kath H, Manchester (09/05/2005 at 15:10)
Anthony, Accrington,Lancashire (09/05/2005 at 15:39)
Anthony, Accrington,Lancs (09/05/2005 at 15:55)
Janis, Liverpool (09/05/2005 at 16:53)
D Bradley, N Manchester (09/05/2005 at 17:01)
mark, stretford (09/05/2005 at 17:25)
linda walker was harassed to breaking point by yob scum, therfore their is NO link between the two. so mrs forbes keep your opinions to yourself.
linda should keep her job and even given a commendation for standing up foe HER rights when GMP failed so miserably yet again.
Steve, Chorlton, Manchester (09/05/2005 at 17:32)
What she did was wrong. Mitigation aside 12 members of a jury found her guilty. That's 12 normal people, not a judge, not a politician, 12 doctors, teachers, bin-men, unemployed people or students felt that she had broken the law. I would have grave concerns about her teaching my children.
John, Cheshire (09/05/2005 at 22:13)
Peter, Stockport (10/05/2005 at 00:30)
The yobbos must be laughing their heads off and there does not seem to be any hope of getting rid of them. We have just elected a new Government but instead of getting down to the business of dragging the country out of the gutter it seems that the next few months will be taken up with these highly paid politicians (whether Labour or Consevative) deciding who should be the next leader. Where they will lead the country I dread to think.
Sorry, Mrs Walker, you have already been let down badly by the authorities and I dont expect Manchester Council to behave any differently.
Phil Burke, Manchester (10/05/2005 at 05:49)
Re Linda Davis
Over the years we have witness a large number of fatal teenagers shootings in and around south Manchester and the Moss side areas, mostly link to the gun and drugs warfare by rival gangs fighting continuously for full control of the different areas.
Leaving residents living in fear on a daily basis, we have even witness the MRI hospital coming under attack from these gun carrying thugs brining terror onto the wards
So before the Mothers for Justice group compares and even makes comments over the future of Linda Davis teaching job think again, she wasn't a drug runner or a gun carrying thug bringing terror onto the streets on Manchester, she was a well respected woman forced to act after the justice system completely failed her.
She was trying to protect her home and family, and has won the full support of the Prime Minster and the leaders of the opposition parties also a number of other influential groups have come out in support. Unlike the Mothers for Gun CRIME sorry justice.
Curt, Seattle (11/05/2005 at 11:04)
This is truly amazing to me, because it simply could not occur here in the U.S. ...we do not seek to create victims among our populace, such as Linda and the first question asked is "why did she allow herself to snap"......these "marauding youths"....I mean, wow, they simply don't exist here as they would be 1. cuffed and stuffed in the back of the nearest patrol car, off to juvenile hall, and/or tried as an adult or 2. if he was unlucky, and the above did not occur, he would be chased, beaten, raped or shot.
A local example: Indian kid shatters all streetlights on private property street. He is pursued onto the Indian Reservation and dragged back to the detention center, and charged. This is the ONLY example I can think of, and he was an (American) Indian...his crime occurred quickly and silently, as there would be no telling what would happen to him if caught in the act, at least in this neighborhood.
Pekka, Finland (11/05/2005 at 13:51)
Chris, Castella, California (11/05/2005 at 16:39)
Mike Casper, Tucson Az. USA (11/05/2005 at 17:36)
Bob, Manchester (13/05/2005 at 11:52)
Keith, California U.S. (14/05/2005 at 04:18)
Bad laws make bad situations.
Observe that she had none of the promised government protection. Now ask yourself if it's wise to let the government be your sole defender.
The answer, as history tells us repeatedly over millenia, is a resounding "no!"
And what did she do, really? An unloaded pellet gun (not even a real firearm) went "pop" and scared some "little terrorists."
Oh, can't have that, now, can we? Can't have the criminal afraid of the upstanding member of society... it might deter him from his vile manners! Oh, no, one less thing for the government to tax you for and do nothing about.
One wonders why the English don't prevail upon Parliament to repudiate the current inculcation to dependency on government.
Restore the English right to self-defense!
mrgoldfinger57, wembley wa (01/10/2005 at 15:52)
cynar, uk (05/01/2006 at 19:03)
who are paid for by taxpayers and have a duty to make sure that such situations would not arise in the first place?...
If it is the case she was harassed, I would like to know why those who harassed her were not punished for it? If she 'snapped' under considerable provocation - how can you make her guitly? It does not matter how many years of experience anyone has in any job - no one should be expected to withstand the unreasonable and not to react in some way - and sometimes this might be a violent reaction. If is is true that there was considerable harassment going on - this woman is twice a victim and the guilty ones are those who put her on the dock in the first place. But of course you can't legally sack the latter for anything - now that's what's criminal in this society.