A RESPECTED headteacher and former Barrow footballer faces losing his job after a judge branded him as “evasive and obtuse” while dismissing his legal appeal.

Alan Cook, of The Gardens in Barrow, appeared at Barrow Crown Court last week in the hope of successfully appealing against his conviction of assault by beating.

On June 22, the Arnside Primary School headteacher was found guilty after a trial at Furness Magistrates’ Court.

Cook then decided to appeal against his conviction but the judge, Beverley Lunt, dismissed his appeal and Cook now faces losing his job.

The judge said he had been an “evasive and obtuse witness” and she didn’t find him credible.

The 63-year-old denied assaulting his wife’s lover, Gary Atkinson, on September 27 last year, an incident which resulted in him being suspended from his job.

While giving evidence at the appeal, Cook said he wanted to approach Mr Atkinson over some “nude photos” he had sent to his son, John, which he believed to be “inappropriate”.

Describing the circumstances of the assault while giving evidence in the crown court, Mr Atkinson said that he and Mrs Cook had been in the car when they spotted Cook driving aggressively and flashing the lights of his Range Rover in an attempt to get them to stop.

Mr Atkinson, of Glenridding Drive, Barrow, said: “I was in the passenger seat and he got out and came at us. He kept trying to punch me so I pushed him and I just kept saying ‘pack it in’.

“He started kicking me between the legs and I think with the adrenaline I didn’t feel much of it.”

Cook denied that he was the aggressor and told the court that he felt “threatened” by Mr Atkinson.

“I tried to deal with it in a dignified way,” he said, and denied that he had used any more force than necessary in the situation.

In June Cook was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £100 compensation, a £170 victim surcharge and £620 in court costs.

Chair of governors at Arnside Primary School, Ian Dudley, has today told the Evening Mail that a meeting is due to take place next week to decide Cook's fate.

ALAN COOK: A COLOURFUL CAREER

AS a semi-professional footballer, Alan Cook made 216 appearances for Barrow AFC between 1975 and 1979.

He also played for Lancaster City, Northwich Victoria, Workington and Kendal Town before taking up a role as assistant manager of Barrow AFC and manager of Workington and Kendal Town.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Cook was born in Durham was educated in the North East before graduating from Lancaster University and Manchester University.

His profile describes him as an accredited Ofsted inspector and a National Leader of Education. He led the South Lakes Rural Education Partnership and was a School Improvement Partner for Blackburn with Darwen Local Education Authority from 2008 to 2010.

He has been headteacher of Arnside National Primary School since 1992.

He is a National Leader of Education (NLE) - a title bestowed on outstanding headteachers or principals who, together with the staff in their schools, use their skills and experience to support schools in challenging circumstances. In addition to leading their own schools, NLEs work to increase the leadership capacity of other schools to help raise standards.

Arnside National Primary School gained academy status in 2011 and was designated a Teaching Schoool in 2013. Teaching schools are outstanding schools that work with others to provide high-quality training and development to new and experienced school staff.