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| Jailed airgun teacher speaks out | Jailed airgun teacher speaks out |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A teacher jailed for confronting youths with an airgun is urging police to do more to protect people from anti-social behaviour and intimidation. | A teacher jailed for confronting youths with an airgun is urging police to do more to protect people from anti-social behaviour and intimidation. |
| Linda Walker, 50, fired the gun near two teenagers outside her house in Urmston, Greater Manchester, in 2004. | Linda Walker, 50, fired the gun near two teenagers outside her house in Urmston, Greater Manchester, in 2004. |
| She told BBC News she was driven to the action out of desperation after months of harassment, crime and vandalism. | She told BBC News she was driven to the action out of desperation after months of harassment, crime and vandalism. |
| Mrs Walker has been cleared to continue teaching after being given a reprimand by the General Teaching Council. | |
| The teacher's home had been subjected to vandalism by a group of unknown people, before escalating to more serious crimes including burglary and obscene phone calls. | The teacher's home had been subjected to vandalism by a group of unknown people, before escalating to more serious crimes including burglary and obscene phone calls. |
| Although it started as a series of minor incidents, Mrs Walker said the police needed to do more to understand how families felt. | Although it started as a series of minor incidents, Mrs Walker said the police needed to do more to understand how families felt. |
| I knew I'd be in trouble but I thought they would investigate what had been going on Linda Walker Gun woman 'can still teach' | |
| "I think they have to give it more priority and I think they should understand the effect that it has on people," she said. | "I think they have to give it more priority and I think they should understand the effect that it has on people," she said. |
| "It doesn't feel like 'low priority crime', it feels like you are under siege. You feel violated when someone has been in your house or your garden, or attacked your children." | "It doesn't feel like 'low priority crime', it feels like you are under siege. You feel violated when someone has been in your house or your garden, or attacked your children." |
| She said she was suffering from anxiety and "totally stressed out" when she took out the airgun in 2004 to bring events "to a head". | She said she was suffering from anxiety and "totally stressed out" when she took out the airgun in 2004 to bring events "to a head". |
| "I knew I'd be in trouble but I thought they [the police] would investigate what had been going on," said Mrs Walker. | "I knew I'd be in trouble but I thought they [the police] would investigate what had been going on," said Mrs Walker. |
| Instead, she was arrested and later jailed for six months for possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and affray. | Instead, she was arrested and later jailed for six months for possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and affray. |
| The appeal court later quashed her jail sentence after five weeks, replacing it with a 12-month conditional discharge. | The appeal court later quashed her jail sentence after five weeks, replacing it with a 12-month conditional discharge. |
| Mrs Walker said she felt aggrieved by her treatment, adding: "I felt there had been an injustice." | |
| Newlove case | |
| Since Mrs Walker's case there have been a number of high-profile incidents of families suffering from anti-social behaviour. | Since Mrs Walker's case there have been a number of high-profile incidents of families suffering from anti-social behaviour. |
| Last year, father-of-three Garry Newlove was kicked to death after confronting a gang vandalising his wife's car outside his home in Warrington. | Last year, father-of-three Garry Newlove was kicked to death after confronting a gang vandalising his wife's car outside his home in Warrington. |
| Asked how she felt about that case, Mrs Walker said: "It just made me feel absolutely sick to the stomach because it's a terrible tragedy for a family." | Asked how she felt about that case, Mrs Walker said: "It just made me feel absolutely sick to the stomach because it's a terrible tragedy for a family." |
| The teacher received more than 1,200 letters from members of the public after she was sentenced and said she "would have gone under" without the support. | The teacher received more than 1,200 letters from members of the public after she was sentenced and said she "would have gone under" without the support. |
| "It was just amazing because I thought, 'People are going to think I'm terrible. I've been out on the streets with a gun and you shouldn't do it. They're going to think I'm some kind of evil person.' | "It was just amazing because I thought, 'People are going to think I'm terrible. I've been out on the streets with a gun and you shouldn't do it. They're going to think I'm some kind of evil person.' |
| "But they didn't. They totally understood." | "But they didn't. They totally understood." |
| Mrs Walker taught children with behavioural problems at New Park High School in Eccles, Salford, when the gun incident happened. | Mrs Walker taught children with behavioural problems at New Park High School in Eccles, Salford, when the gun incident happened. |
| She said she was unlikely to return to teaching children and would enter adult education if she returned to the profession. | |
| The teaching council ruling means she must disclose the incident to any employer inquiring about her registration status. |
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