I was bullied too, says father

A Father who assaulted a schoolboy to protect his daughter says he was bullied himself and will not allow his children to suffer as he did.

Daryl Falcon, 34, was convicted and fined $500 in the Christchurch District Court this week after taking matters into his own hands over the alleged bullying of his 11-year-old daughter, Amanda.

He grabbed the 11-year-old boy responsible by the scruff of the neck outside the school grounds and poked him with a finger while yelling at him to leave his daughter alone. His actions have won him widespread praise, and public donations to pay the fine have reached $250.

"As a parent, nothing is more upsetting than seeing your daughter come home from school in tears, and the next day being too scared to go to school in case it's her turn to be bullied again," Falcon said on a Trade Me website forum.

"With our new baby being sick, it made me more protective of my children. We don't smack our daughter at home, so why should we send her to school to get slapped by a bully?

"I was also bullied at school, because I was very overweight. So I think that is why I have zero tolerance for any kind of bullying.

"I was bullied by students and teachers, and my dad went down to the school and sorted it out."

Falcon, who has competed in strongman competitions, said the boy slapped his daughter across the face with a book and punched her.

The school chose to "sit back and do nothing", he said.

But the father of the boy said Falcon's assault was a "premeditated act of violence".

Michael Teague, who has already suffered two heart attacks, had not previously spoken to the media out of concern that undertaking a series of interviews would endanger his health.

Mr Teague's Christchurch employer, Colin Lee, was so worried about the pressure of the case on Mr Teague that he sent him home on stress leave and enlisted a public relations firm to help the Teague family tell their side of the story.

Mr Teague said his son had been unfairly painted as a habitual bully.

"The two children sat side by side in class and had been sniping at each other for some time," he said. "My son then became annoyed and pushed a book at the girl's arm. The teacher saw the incident and took both children away from the classroom and gave detentions to both.

"Does that sound as though my son was bullying her?.

"The attack was witnessed by my other son and daughter, who were terrified. Mr Falcon was called a gentle giant in court but what he did was a premeditated act of violence."

Mr Teague said the family pushed for a conviction because Falcon had not offered an apology.