Warblington School trial: Teacher tells jurors 'I've told a lot of lies' but says sex with pupils 'never happened'
PE teacher Sean Aldridge, 37, denies sex with four girls aged 13 to 16 at Warblington School, Havant, between 2006-2012, but admitted acting ‘inappropriately’ and lying to the school.
Prosecutor Robert Bryan accused Aldridge of spinning a web of deceit to avoid facing up to the bitter truth as the defendant gave evidence at Portsmouth Crown Court.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdCiting one incident with a girl, whose first sexual experience was ‘ruined’ by Aldridge allegedly saying he ‘could go to prison for this’, the barrister looked the defendant in the eyes and said: ‘You and the truth are unhappy bedfellows.’
Aldridge said of the alleged encounter: ‘It never happened.’
But he went on to admit he had been dishonest to his wife and the school. ‘I’ve told lots of lies,’ Aldridge said.
Mr Bryan poured scorn on Aldridge’s hopes of convincing the jury he was innocent when he failed to tell the truth during an initial school investigation into his conduct with a pupil where he was cleared and subsequently made head of safeguarding.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad‘When you took over safeguarding you did not say to them I’m not good for this role,’ the prosecutor said.
‘You allowed the school to promote you and make you head of safeguarding and allow you to carry on teaching adolescents after you had lied during the investigation.’
Aldridge, who was giving evidence for the second day today, told jurors: ‘I didn’t want people to know I lied.’
Mr Bryan added: ‘At no point did you correct the false impression to your employers. You ask this court to believe you when you accept you lied about contact with one of the girls (after she left school).’
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAfter being questioned over text messages to one of the girls, Aldridge admitted he went too far. ‘It was inappropriate,’ he said.
Dad-of-two Aldridge, of Edmund Road, Southsea, denies 28 counts of sexual activity with the girls.
(Proceeding)