Teen avoids jail after brutal school attack leaves teacher scarred for life

An 18-year-old student who slammed his teacher’s head onto concrete, leaving her permanently disfigured, has avoided jail—sparking national outrage and questions about justice in the classroom.

The attack happened at St. Paul’s Academy in Dundee on March 22, 2024. Kieran Matthew, then 17, was asked to follow a school rule: to change for gym in a separate room. Instead of complying, he lashed out in a violent rage.

Carol Shaw, a respected teacher called in to calm the situation, was instead assaulted. According to court reports, Matthew grabbed her in a “rugby-style grip” and slammed her head-first into the hard floor. The impact knocked her out cold and caused a deep, Y-shaped gash on her scalp that needed ten stitches. Doctors later said her injuries could have been deadly.

“She looked like a ragdoll flying through the air”

What happened next shocked even veteran teachers. Bloodied and disoriented, Ms. Shaw tried to pull herself up, leaving a handprint on the wall. A colleague who witnessed the scene said she appeared “like a ragdoll flying through the air.”

But the physical wounds were just the beginning. Ms. Shaw has not been able to return to work since. She now suffers from severe anxiety, nightmares, and panic attacks—an emotional toll that may never fully heal.

“You’ve robbed her of her career,” Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith told Matthew during sentencing. “She is permanently disfigured. This has affected her life in every aspect.”

No jail time—just supervision and a curfew

Despite pleading guilty to causing permanent disfigurement and endangering life, Matthew avoided prison. Instead, he was sentenced to a three-year social work supervision order, a yearlong 9pm–7am curfew, and mandatory anger management sessions.

Legal experts say his guilty plea reduced the sentence range under Scottish guidelines—from a possible 18 months to less than 12. And since first-time offenders with sentences under a year are often spared jail if other options exist, the court chose community-based punishment.

This decision left many in disbelief.

“He walked free!?” one commenter wrote. “And then they wonder why more people don’t want to become a teacher.”

Matthew’s defense attorney described a troubled young man with a long history of abuse, neglect, and mental challenges. He has been diagnosed with PTSD, ADHD, and has an IQ between 47 and 59. “He struggles with basic daily tasks and needs prompting even to eat,” his lawyer said.

But that explanation didn’t sit well with everyone.

“Unbelievable,” one user wrote. “She nearly died, and he gets to go home.”

Many fear this case sends a dangerous message—that teachers aren’t protected and that students who commit violent acts might walk away without serious consequences.

Carol Shaw, once a beloved figure at her school, is now fighting to rebuild her life. The scars on her head may fade with time, but the emotional wounds—and the fear—may not.

Her story is a painful reminder of the risks educators face and the deep impact violence can have in schools.