A headteacher who attacked his deputy and love rival with a wrench in a jealous rage has been released from jail.
Anthony Felton was jailed for 28 months in April after attacking his deputy Richard Pyke the previous month, with whom he was embroiled in a love triangle.
But the 54-year-old was freed under a home detention curfew this month after spending just five months in prison, including just over seven weeks on remand, it has emerged.
He is subject to an electronically monitored curfew for a minimum of nine hours a day by law, though generally it is for 12 hours.
Confirming his release under home detention curfew (HDC) with an electronic tag, the Ministry of Justice said the disgraced head had been risk assessed and would be subject to strict conditions.
At his sentencing in April, Felton admitted attempted grievous bodily harm with intent after the attack at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Comprehensive in Aberavon, Neath Port Talbot, on March 5 this year.
Felton, of Gorseinon, Swansea, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court to two years and four months by Judge Paul Thomas.
The court heard the former headteacher was overcome by “overwhelming sexual jealousy” over a love triangle at the secondary school.
Felton attacked Mr Pyke, 51, with the metal wrench after finding out he was the father of a fellow teacher’s child and that Mr Pyke was in a relationship with the same teacher. The pair had been friends and colleagues for 15 years.
Anthony Felton was jailed for 28 months for attack fuelled by ‘sexual jealousy’
Dramatic video shows Anthony John Felton (right) approaching Richard Pyke (left) before the attack
The clip then shows Felton strike Mr Pyke with a wrench at St Joseph’s Catholic School
The wrench hit Mr Pyke on the head and knocked him to the floor during the attack by Felton
Mr Pyke was treated in hospital for minor injuries after Felton attacked him from behind with a metal wrench.
Felton, a married father of three adult children and known as John, had been friends with Mr Pyke for many years but attacked him in a ‘terribly jealous overreaction’, his sentencing hearing was told.
Felton believed Mr Pyke had slept with another teacher with whom he had recently been in a relationship – and had himself fathered a lovechild.
On March 5, Felton, whose wife Maria was at the time relationships and sex education coordinator at the school, hid the wrench under his coat when he went to Mr Pyke’s office to discuss an email from a parent.
But when another teacher left the room, Felton swung the wrench while Mr Pyke’s back was turned – hitting him on the head and knocking him to the floor. Felton shouted at him: ‘You know what you’ve done’ as other teachers rushed to intervene.
After the attack at the school on March 5 this year, Felton threw the wrench away and left the school in his car. He then sent an email to all staff apologising ‘for the problems and distress his actions were likely to cause’.
Felton, who according to an annual report from the governing body was appointed headteacher in September 2023, pleaded guilty to attempted grievous bodily harm with intent when he first appeared in court on April 7.
Confirming Felton’s early release, a Prison Service Spokesman said: ‘Offenders released on Home Detention Curfew are subject to strict conditions and must be tagged. If they break the rules they will be sent back to prison.’
Richard Pyke, who needed hospital treatment for minor injuries after attack from behind
The huge wrench wielded by Anthony Felton in attack on his love rival Richard Pyke
The spokesperson gave no exact date for the release but confirmed: ‘Anthony Felton was released in August 2025.’
The Ministry of Justice said all home detention curfews (HDCs) are discretionary. No one is eligible for HDC unless they have been risk-assessed, and the prison governor makes the ultimate decision.
Felton will be subject to strict licence conditions and a curfew enforced by electronic monitoring, as in every HDC case.
The MoJ said all prisoners released on HDC must have served at least half the custodial part of their sentence.
All prisoners are subject to risk assessment prior to release on HDC. They are subject to an electronically monitored curfew for a minimum of nine hours a day by law, though generally it is for 12 hours.
