A headmaster who ambushed his deputy with a spanner in a jealous rage over a love triangle has been released from prison after serving less than five months of his sentence, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed.
Dr Anthony John Felton, 54, who was jailed for two years and four months in April for attacking colleague Richard Pyke at St Joseph’s Catholic School in Port Talbot, was released in August under home detention curfew with electronic monitoring. The married father-of-three believed his 51-year-old victim was having an affair with a teacher who had recently given birth to Felton’s child.
The Prison Service confirmed Felton is now living at home with an electronic tag under “strict conditions” as part of the Home Detention Curfew scheme, which allows certain prisoners to serve the final portion of their sentence in the community. “Offenders released on Home Detention Curfew are subject to strict conditions and must be tagged. If they break the rules they will be sent back to prison,” a spokesman told WalesOnline.
Calculated Ambush Caught on CCTV
The attack occurred on 5 March when Felton lured Mr Pyke into a room at the school and instructed him to read an email, ensuring his back was turned. CCTV footage played in court showed Felton removing the spanner from his pocket and repeatedly striking his unsuspecting colleague to the head without warning.
During the assault, Felton shouted “you know what you’ve done” and accused his victim of sleeping with his lover. Mr Pyke desperately tried to wrestle the weapon away before a staff member intervened, causing Felton to calm down.
Judge Paul Thomas described the premeditated attack as an “ambush” driven by “overwhelming sexual jealousy”, noting it was “entirely without precedent” for a headteacher to assault their deputy. The court heard Felton had recently discovered he was the father of another teacher’s child and believed Mr Pyke had begun his own relationship with the woman.
Victim’s Lasting Trauma
Mr Pyke suffered swelling to the scalp, headaches, nausea and dizziness following the attack, requiring hospital treatment for his injuries. In a victim impact statement, he described the profound psychological toll of the assault by someone he considered a friend.
“I thought the lights were falling in on me when the first blows struck me on the back of the head,” he told the court. “In the moments of debilitating flashbacks I still have, I sob the same question: how could you do something like that?”
He added: “I am still in freefall from the trauma of this. I trusted you completely. You abused that complete trust to manoeuvre me into a position of utter vulnerability. The impact of your attack will be with me forever.”
Email Sent to Staff
Following the assault, Felton fled the school premises but sent a shocking email to all staff members. The message accused the female teacher of “sleeping her way to the top” and engaging in sexual activity with at least two members of the School Leadership Team, including Mr Pyke.
“Dear staff, the greatest mistake I made was appointing [name redacted] in various roles,” the email read. “I’m sorry for the distress the rest of the day will bring. I am sorry.”
Felton then threw away the wrench and left the school in his car, later apologising in another email for “the problems and distress his actions were likely to cause.”
‘Spectacular Fall from Grace’
Felton had been appointed headteacher at the 900-pupil school in September 2023 after running the mathematics department for 17 years. His barrister, John Hipkin KC, described the incident as a “spectacular fall from grace to say the least” for the experienced educator.
At Swansea Crown Court in April, Felton pleaded guilty to attempted grievous bodily harm with intent. Judge Thomas imposed a sentence of two years and four months imprisonment, along with a restraining order preventing contact with the victim.
Abul Hussain of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Anthony Felton struck a defenceless man repeatedly to the head with a metal weapon, demonstrating he had an intent to cause his victim really serious harm. The level of unprovoked violence, from a professional in the workplace, was shocking.”
Home Detention Curfew Explained
Under the Home Detention Curfew scheme, eligible prisoners serving sentences between three months and four years can be released up to 135 days early whilst wearing an electronic tag. The scheme, operational since 1999, aims to provide a managed transition from custody to community for short-sentence prisoners.
Those released must remain at their designated address during curfew hours, typically from 7pm to 7am for 12 hours daily. The electronic tag monitors compliance, and any breach of conditions or tampering with equipment results in immediate recall to prison.
Prisoners must serve at least one quarter of their sentence before becoming eligible for HDC. Sex offenders and those convicted of terrorism offences are statutorily excluded, whilst those with domestic violence convictions are presumed unsuitable under policy guidelines.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed no exact date for Felton’s release but stated it occurred in August, meaning he served approximately four to five months of his 28-month sentence before being granted early release.
School Community Impact
Detective Inspector Tony Bannister of South Wales Police emphasised the wider impact of Felton’s actions: “This attack, and its aftermath, has been an alarming ordeal not just for those directly involved, but also for other staff at the school, as well as the pupils and their parents and guardians.
“There is absolutely no excuse for what Anthony Felton has done, and there was no other possible outcome than for him to go to prison,” he added.
The case has shocked the education community, with Judge Thomas noting during sentencing that violence in schools is typically perpetrated by pupils, not senior leadership attacking one another. Felton’s actions have destroyed his decades-long teaching career and resulted in lasting consequences for all involved.
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