Pupil ‘ lied about sex with teacher who rejected him’
A SCHOOLBOY who accused a teacher of sending him explicit messages and having a sexual relationship with him made up the claims after she rejected his advances, a court heard.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was said to be ‘obsessed’ with Rebecca Whitehurst, who is 30 years his senior. The pupil bought the married teacher a necklace, which she returned, and sent her a card addressed to ‘mum’, in which he wrote: ‘I really love you and deep down I know you love me.’
Whitehurst, 46, is on trial accused of two counts of engaging in sexual activity and sexual communication with the boy when she knew he was under 16 in 2019. Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court heard the relationship allegedly began when the student, who suffered mental health issues, gave the teacher his phone number following a mindfulness counselling session at the school in Greater Manchester.
Mother- of-two Whitehurst told the jury she felt ‘responsible’ for the pupil’s mental health after he expressed suicidal thoughts during group therapy sessions.
Mark Ford QC, defending Whitehurst, insisted the boy had ‘ manipulated’ messages and ‘concocted’ false ones using editing software.
The barrister told the boy: ‘You manufactured some messages to revenge yourself because you were disappointed she didn’t want a relationship with you and you were obsessed with her.’
Julian Goode, prosecuting, said the pair began messaging each other via Snapchat and WhatsApp and Whitehurst allegedly sent photographs of her breasts to the boy. He also sent naked pictures of himself to her in return, it is claimed.
They met at least eight times outside of school hours, often with Whitehurst, a languages teacher, picking up the pupil in her Volvo car. She admitted she had taken him to Nando’s and a park but said they always met in public places. It is claimed she performed a sex act on the boy and later asked him to delete messages.
Whitehurst, of Lymm, Cheshire, denies the allegations. The trial continues.