Ex-Wales rugby star denies assaulting school pupil

Full-back Mathew Back won four caps for Wales in 1995

A former Wales rugby star assaulted a primary school pupil, grabbing him so hard he left marks on his arm, a court has heard.

Mathew Back, 53, who played four times for Wales, was working as a teacher when the alleged assault occurred.

Cardiff Crown Court heard on Thursday that he left the child with a bruise after snatching drawings away from him in the classroom.

Mr Back, of Miskin, Rhondda Cynon Taf, denies assault.

Christopher Evans, prosecuting, said the boy was angered by the teacher taking away his pictures and Mr Back "lost control" and grabbed him on the arm.

He said: "Back manhandled the child. He handled the situation completely the wrong way."

Mr Evans said Mr Back "didn't de-escalate" the situation but instead "lost control on a small child".

The jury was told the boy had been sent to draw after an incident with another child, but rolled the paper into a "comical shape".

Mr Back then allegedly snatched the paper from the boy before the child lashed out at teaching assistants and was taken to a sofa for "time out".

Mr Back kept the boy on the sofa and blocked him from leaving the area until he calmed down and could go home at the end of the day, the jury heard.

But the child’s mother said he returned from school late, "very angry and very agitated" and later that night the boy's father found bruising on his arm.

When the parents spoke to Mr Back, he initially told the mother he wasn't aware of any incidents involving their son.

He first suggested the boy may have got the marks from hiding in a small space or "rough and tumble" with other children, before later saying an incident had taken place and the child had to be moved to the sofa.

Matthew Back is on trial at Cardiff Crown Court

Harriet Ealden, defending, showed the courtroom messages between the mum and Mr Back, highlighting that they often worked together to combat the child's behavioural needs.

In one of the messages, Mr Back said it was "a pleasure to teach him today" and she replied that he was "excited to go to school today".

Another message from her to Mr Back said “great teamwork”.

The court heard that, at the time, the child had had 50 incidents in the school which his parents had been informed about and all had been documented with paperwork. But the parents were not informed about the incident in question until they called about the bruise.

The schoolboy's parents documented the bruise on his arm with multiple pictures taken over a few days.

They raised concerns with the school and the matter was investigated further with three people, including Mr Back, being suspended.

Matthew Back won four caps for Wales as a full-back in 1995 and played club rugby for Pontypridd as well as Bridgend, Swansea, Bristol and Aberavon.

The trial continues.