A shameless father today defended his 14-year-old daughter after she was suspended for taking ecstasy and vodka in the playground – saying it was the school’s fault for ‘not having enough teachers’.
Stuart Whincup, 37, vowed to stand by his young daughter Jamie-Leigh who was rushed to hospital on Monday after taking the dangerous cocktail of drugs and alcohol.
The unemployed dad-of-five complained that “somebody must have laced her vodka” after paramedics were called to University Academy Holbeach, in Spalding, Lincolnshire,
to reports Jamie-Leigh was hallucinating, babbling and being sick in the school’s medical room.
She was rushed to Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital where tests showed she had alcohol as well as the lethal party drug in her system.
Jamie admitted drinking alcohol from an Volvic water bottle given to her by a friend – but said her vodka must have been laced with ecstasy.
Shockingly, father Stuart has defended her actions and pulled his young daughter out of lessons – claiming it’s not safe for her to return to the school because of “peer-pressure.”
Stuart, from Whaplode St Catherine, Lincs, said yesterday: “It’s only partly her fault -since the school merged with another there’s not enough teachers to monitor all the pupils. They can’t keep an eye on them all.
“Girls will be girls won’t they? She’s at that age.
“Its scared her, so hopefully she won’t do it again. But there’s no way we’re sending her back to school after this because we don’t feel she’s safe there any more.
“It’s all down to peer pressure. She has been accused of having cannabis before – but never anything like this.
“It’s disgraceful – the vodka must have been spiked.”
Stuart and his wife Shirley, 36, were called by concerned teachers at lunchtime on Monday.
Stuart added: “We received a call from the school to say Jamie-Leigh was in the medical room off her face on drink and drugs.
“They said another pupil had reported to a teacher that she was collapsing everywhere and throwing up.
“She was really out of it – she thought she was in America at one point.
“She had been given a water bottle. Her other friend said it tasted like alcohol and it was admitted it was – so Jamie tried to show off by drinking some more.
“It seems it had also been spiked with ecstasy. She was a real mess when we arrived at the hospital.
“She was hallucinating, babbling, her eyes were rolling, she was shaking and being sick everywhere.
“She was in a really bad way and had to stay in hospital until about 10.30pm.
“She’s OK now though.”
University Academy headteacher Steve Baragwanath said Jamie-Lee is currently serving a five-day fixed term exclusion while he carries out a full investigation.
He said: “The school has a zero tolerance policy on drink and drugs and I will be speaking to the pupils involved to get to the bottom of what happened and will then deal with it appropriately.
“This girl consumed alcohol at lunchtime. She claimed someone had given her a tablet, but although there was evidence of alcohol and, I believe, cannabis, the evidence was inconclusive on other drugs.”
Police confirmed they were called to the school on Monday afternoon and said the incident remains open while they speak with the school and Jamie-Leigh to establish the circumstances.
A spokesman for Lincolnshire Police said: “If it comes to light that any criminal offences have taken place, the police will progress accordingly.
“Otherwise the incident will be a matter for the school and parents to deal with.”
