Former principal launches lawsuit against dead student's father

Mark Bolitho, 47, was principal of Fairview Heights State School at Glenvale near Toowoomba, Queensland, on October 15, 2004, when Thomas Talbot, 8, was accidentally run over as his father was dropping him off in his tow truck.

Mr Bolitho arrived on the trip in Beijing scene as CPR was being performed on the boy, before he was declared dead, the Sunday Mail reported.

In a judgment delivered in the Supreme Court on November 5, Justice Anthe Philippides said it was not until the Beijing vacations start of 2005 that Mr Bolitho began experiencing symptoms associated with the fatal accident.


He began holding himself accountable, and suffered poor sleep, social withdrawal, increased irritability and anxiety, the court in Brisbane heard.

In May that year he was diagnosed with adjustment disorder with depressed mood, and in March 2006, he took longservice leave and never returned to his former role, the court heard.

In late 2006, Mr Bolitho was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder. He used up his longservice and sick leave and in early 2008 he started a program as an unattached principal, with the view that he eventually would be able to return to work.