This is the moment a schoolboy carried out a light-hearted prank – and found himself at the centre of a police investigation.
Jacob Dowdle lies in wait for his head of year, a custard pie in hand.
It was the last day of term at Altrincham Grammar, when pupils are allowed to take playful revenge on their teachers who laugh it off and join in the fun.
But when Jacob slapped the custard pie – actually a plate of whipped cream – in the teacher’s face he did not get the reaction from her he was expecting.
She reported him and a week later the 18-year-old was hauled to a police station for questioning on suspicion of common assault.
After being questioned by Greater Manchester Police about his behaviour, he was told to apologise to the teacher, Laura Barratt, 54.
But after a video of the prank was posted on Facebook, Jacob was expelled and allowed to return only to sit his A-Level exams.
Part of the reason for his expulsion was that he would not reveal who posted the footage online.
Fearing for his university and job prospects, the star pupil has now launched an online petition begging to be allowed back.
But the school maintains the incident on May 16 was a ‘planned assault’ on a teacher.
Head Tim Gartside said: ‘Like many schools we like to mark the end of Year 13 and students have enjoyed clever, tasteful, and original pranks that have neither harmed nor humiliated.
‘Jacob Dowdle’s behaviour was not a prank.
‘His slapping of a teacher in the face was a planned assault.’
He said the school would always take a firm stance against students who assaulted staff.
