Helen Lord, a maths teacher at Fulchester's John Fordhurst secondary school, is accused of wounding a police officer with a chisel. The court will hear that Miss Lord went to Calderley police station to speak to Detective Bretherton about the contents of a letter which he had sent to the headmistress of the school, advising her that Miss Lord was not suitable to work with children. When she was denied access to Detective Bretherton, she 'went berserk' and attacked the desk sergeant. The decision of the headmistress to employ Miss Lord without checking references is also being brought into question.