A teacher accused of having s3x with a 16-year-old pupil has told a court that she was easily influenced, wanted to be liked and found it difficult to say “no” to people she wanted to please.
Bronwen James, 30, is standing trial at Winchester Crown Court, where she faces four counts of $3xual activity with the teenager while working as a PE teacher at Bitterne Park School in Southampton.
Prosecutors allege that James had $3x with the pupil on three or four occasions after the pair began communicating through Snapchat.
Teacher denies s3xual relationship
Giving evidence in court, James denied having a $3xual relationship with the teenager.
She claimed the boy had fabricated the allegations in an attempt to appear “cool” in front of his friends.
James told jurors that she began her teaching career at the age of 21 and now viewed herself as immature at the time. She said she was easily influenced and had been too lenient with pupils.
“I just don’t think I was ready for it. As my career progressed, I realised maybe I was seeking validation from the wrong people,” she said.
‘I wanted them to like me’
James also described herself as a teacher who struggled to enforce certain school rules because she did not want to upset or anger her pupils.
“I think I was a very lenient teacher, I was not strict, there were behaviour policies I would not necessarily follow, such as using mobile phones in lessons. But I did not want to upset them, I did not want to anger them. I wanted them to like me.”
The court heard that James’ defence centres on her denial of the alleged $3xual relationship, despite the prosecution’s claim that she engaged in $3xual activity with the pupil on several occasions.
The trial is ongoing, and the allegations against James have not been proven.
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