Lawyer in the news

Who? Neil Scott, 39-year-old criminal law partner at five-partner Taunton firm Alms & Young.

Why is he in the news? Represented Graham Davies, a south Devon teacher who was last week cleared of head-butting a boy in his class.

Mr Davies, who had taught with an unblemished record for 31 years, was accused of head-butting and punching a 13-year-old boy who he had excluded from his art and design class for disruptive behaviour.

The boy had an 88-page long disciplinary record at the school, and his evidence was described as 'not totally credible' by the chairman of the magistrates' court bench.

Background: LLB at Leicester University 1981-84 followed by Law Society finals at the College of Law in Guildford.

He qualified with Alms & Young in 1987, before leaving in 1988 to work for Bridgwater firm Dodson Harding (now Porter Dodson).

He rejoined Alms & Young in 1991 and was made partner in 1994.

Route to the case: 'Mr Davies' original solicitors were not crime experts, but they referred him to a specialist barrister, who then recommended me.'

Thoughts on the case: 'This is one of a series of cases in the last few years involving teachers allegedly assaulting pupils, and it raises the issue of how a teacher is supposed to discipline their pupils and maintain order in the classroom with false allegations like this made against them.

This case also brings up the question of where the balance of trust falls: the teacher had a long, clean record, and yet the decision was made to prosecute him on the evidence of a 13-year-old boy who had run up an 88-page disciplinary record within a year.

This case was at a decent, rural school - who knows what teachers have to go through at inner-city comprehensives?'

Dealing with the media: 'I've had some past experience, such as the case a few years ago of Justine Cummings, a mentally ill woman who murdered the son of the Bishop of Taunton.

I haven't had any formal training, but I've found dealing with television crews and all the national papers in this case a positive experience.'

Victoria MacCallum