A former school boss who was cleared of child cruelty after allegedly fracturing a 12-year-old pupil’s wrist during a restraint has been revealed to have a history of similar allegations.
Andrew McKeeman, 61, was found not guilty by a jury at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday. The charge related to an incident at Cornfields School in Ashford in October 2023, where Mr McKeeman served as the operations manager and safeguarding lead.
Prosecutors alleged that Mr McKeeman had goaded the 12-year-old pupil—who had a history of violent outbursts—into lashing out, providing him with a pretext to perform a “police hold.” The court heard that Mr McKeeman took the child to the floor and twisted his arm behind his back, resulting in a wrist fracture discovered by the boy’s mother later that day.
Mr McKeeman, of High Halden, maintained his innocence throughout the nine-day trial. He testified that he acted “instinctively” to defend himself after being struck by the student, describing the floor-based restraint as the “safest” way to contain a volatile situation.
The trial’s conclusion was marked by dramatic scenes in the public gallery. As the verdict was delivered—following a delay caused by a juror collapsing—the mother of the 12-year-old shouted, “This is why they should have been told about the other child.”
Her outburst referred to a previously suppressed conviction against Mr McKeeman. Following the lifting of a Contempt of Court order by Judge Alison Russell, it can now be reported that Mr McKeeman had been convicted by Margate Magistrates’ Court in 2023 for assaulting a 15-year-old pupil at his other school, Belle Vue in Cranbrook.
In that incident, it was alleged that he used force that went “far beyond what was necessary” by wrestling a student to a desk. While magistrates originally found him guilty, that conviction was later quashed on appeal at Maidstone Crown Court. Judge Philip St.John-Stevens ruled that while the restraint was “unattractive,” the force used was “necessary and reasonable” given the student’s behavior.
The acquittal at Canterbury Crown Court marks the end of a long-standing legal saga for the couple who owned and operated both Cornfields and Belle Vue. Both schools closed abruptly in July 2023 for financial reasons, months after Kent County Council withdrew children from their care.
The closures followed a damning Ofsted report that saw Cornfields—previously rated “outstanding”—downgraded to “inadequate.” Mr McKeeman, a former Kent Police officer, had initially faced a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm, which was withdrawn by the prosecution before the trial began.
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