A teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a pupil has been found not guilty of all charges. Deborah Lowe, 53, of Poynton, Cheshire, was cleared by a jury at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court on Tuesday.
Ms Lowe had denied five counts of sexual activity with a student by a person in a position of trust. A sixth charge of sexual activity with a child was withdrawn by prosecutors on the fourth day of the trial after the complainant gave evidence suggesting he was 16, not 15, at the time of first sexual contact.
The judge instructed the jury to return a not guilty verdict on the withdrawn charge. After two hours and seven minutes of deliberation, the jury returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on the remaining five counts.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Ms Lowe began a sexual relationship with the boy when he was 15, and although he was not forced or coerced, he was too young to consent by law. They also contended that even after the boy turned 16, Ms Lowe was in a position of trust as a teacher, making the relationship illegal.
However, the defence maintained that the relationship began after the boy had left school at 17, when Ms Lowe was no longer in a position of trust. The court heard that Ms Lowe had prepared a written statement accepting a sexual relationship but asserting it started when he was 17.
Ms Lowe sobbed quietly in the dock as the verdicts were read. She left court without speaking to reporters, but her lawyer released a statement on her behalf.
