Dr. Anthony Felton, 55, struck Richard Pyke five times in his office after falling into what he described as “overwhelming sexual jealousy” over a suspected love triangle. Both men, married with children, believed they were involved with the same younger female teacher at St Joseph’s Catholic Comprehensive School in Aberavon, Port Talbot.
Writing for Inside Time, a newspaper for prisoners and former inmates, Felton said he regretted his actions immediately. “To this day I often dream about apologising to the victim,” he wrote. Felton described himself as “fortunate” to have had family and friends supporting him after his release.
Felton admitted to attempted grievous bodily harm with intent and was sentenced in April last year to two years and four months in jail. He was released on licence in August, after serving time at HMP Swansea. A restraining order prevents him from contacting Pyke directly.
In his Inside Time article, Felton described the difficulties of adjusting to life outside prison. He recalled being placed initially on a suicide prevention wing and monitored closely. He said he sought help for childhood and adult trauma and was determined to rebuild his life, acknowledging he had lost his career, purpose, and much of the trust of family, friends, and colleagues.
Pyke, who read a victim impact statement in court, said, “I am still in freefall from such an unforeseeable act. You should have been the one to protect me and instead you carried out a brutal and incomprehensible attack on my life.”
The assault took place on March 5, shortly after the teacher at the centre of the dispute and Pyke returned from a school trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland. Felton’s former mistress, who had once been his maths student before joining the staff, is understood to have had a relationship with him after leaving school; there is no suggestion the affair occurred while she was a pupil.
Felton’s barrister described his client’s fall from grace as “spectacular,” given his position as a committed Christian, anti-abortion campaigner, and headmaster. At sentencing, Judge Paul Thomas said Felton’s actions stemmed from “overwhelming sexual jealousy arising from an adulterous affair and the uncontrollable rage it caused in you.”
After his release, Felton has expressed a desire to give back to his family, friends, and society, acknowledging the ongoing impact of his crime.
