A FORMER teacher at a special needs school has been banned from teaching for life after she was jailed for smacking her husband across the head with a hairdryer.

Meena Chivers, who used to work at Fitzharry's School in Abingdon, was jailed for 16 months in March 2015 after the assault, which resulted in her husband Paul needing eight stitches.

A professional conduct panel of the National College for Teaching and Leadership decided at Chivers' hearing on May 23 that she should be banned from teaching at any school in England, indefinitely.

The 42-year-old, who denied the assaults, was convicted of unlawful wounding and common assault by a jury at Swindon Crown Court on March 18, 2015.

In the report, the NCTL panel reported: "Although the panel finds the evidence of Mrs Chivers' teaching proficiency to be of note, the panel has found the seriousness of the offending behaviour that led to the conviction is relevant to Mrs Chivers' ongoing suitability to teach, not least because this took place in front of a child."

The court heard how Chivers, who had been living in Highworth at the time, had been having marital problems with her husband before the incident.

On the night of the attack she ripped the hairdryer out of the wall and brought it down on his head, causing profuse bleeding.

He went to hospital where it was stapled and spent the rest of the night downstairs on the sofa. But in the morning, Chivers showed no remorse and whacked him over the head with a pet food bowl.

The panel added in its report: "Furthermore, in view of the seriousness of the allegations found proved against her, I have decided that Mrs Chivers shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of her eligibility to teach."