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"School Coach Jailed for Putting Pupils in Headlocks"


A sports coach at a special educational needs school has been jailed for abusive behavior uncovered by a BBC Panorama investigation. Elliott Millar, 21, was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison after admitting to assaulting three pupils at Life Wirral independent school in Wallasey.


Millar was secretly filmed putting students in headlocks, feigning punches, and drawing a penis on a boy's face. The abuse, described by District Judge James Hatton as "cruel bullying," was exposed by undercover reporter Sasha Hinde, who worked at the school for seven weeks.


The court heard that Millar's actions humiliated pupils, with one victim saying he felt "embarrassed" in front of classmates. The judge condemned the behavior as a "hideous breach of trust."


The school, now closed, reportedly had a culture of abuse, with Millar's lawyer claiming such actions were "the norm." Millar, who has ADHD, received no formal training before starting his role.

Millar pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including common assault and using threatening language, during an earlier hearing.

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