A married maths teacher who had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old pupil has been given a suspended jail sentence. Andrew Welsh, 36, was caught when the girl's mother discovered him hiding under her daughter's bed at their home in Bolton.
Bolton Crown Court heard that Welsh, a former assistant head of year, began the relationship with the 'impressionable' teenager last summer while she was taking her GCSE exams. He admitted six counts of sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust.
The court was told that Welsh bombarded the girl with obscene texts, including one that said: 'Have you heard about my maths lesson? We're going to find out if 35 goes into 16.' The pair had sex at the teacher's home, in his car at a Sainsbury's car park, and at the girl's home.
Welsh was given a 14-month jail term, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 200 hours of community service. He must also sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.
Judge Elliot Knopf told Welsh: 'You were nearly 20 years older than this girl. It is you who has to bear the responsibility for what happened.' The judge added that the relationship was 'not perhaps a moment of madness, because it went on for a good number of weeks.'
