Teacher banned for shaking baby causing brain damage

Jonathan Sinfield began working at Wellsway School in 2015

A teacher who was jailed for shaking a 43-day-old baby, causing brain damage, has been banned from the profession indefinitely.

Jonathan Sinfield was teaching at Wellsway School in Keynsham at the time, and was sentenced in June 2022 at Bristol Crown Court after admitting causing grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in March 2022.

Sinfield, now 31, was caring for the infant as a babysitter in Bath when he shook the baby, the court heard.

Initially, he reported the child had become ill and knocked its head against a sofa. He later claimed he had dropped the baby from a height of about 1m (3.3ft).

Medical experts advised that owing to the nature of the injuries it was more likely the baby had been gripped and forcefully shaken, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The Teaching Regulation Agency (RTA) professional conduct panel has now struck off Sinfield with no possibility for a review.

Its report said Sinfield still claims he was wrongly convicted.

“The panel noted that the offences had taken place outside of the education setting and had not involved pupils or other members of the school’s staff,” it said.

“Nevertheless, having considered all the facts of the case the panel decided that Sinfield’s convictions were relevant to teaching, working with children and working in an education setting.”

'Lack of remorse'

The report said the judge’s sentencing remarks referred to Sinfield’s state of mind at the time which “may have been a contributory factor”, but there was no evidence his actions were accidental.

It said: “The panel concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that Sinfield was acting under extreme duress.

“The panel noted that there was a lack of evidence of remorse on the part of Sinfield.

“The panel found that this was an incredibly serious conviction for which he received a term of imprisonment.

“The panel was of the view that Sinfield still sees himself as a wrongly convicted man, and that this was apparent from his letter to the TRA.”

Sinfield began working at the secondary school in 2015 and did not attend the conduct hearing and was not represented.