'I am not a lesbian': Teacher accused of affairs with pupils

12 April 2012

A drama teacher has told a court she was not a lesbian and had not had sexual relationships with two female former pupils.

Caroline French, 38, said both the ex-students were liars and that a fellow teacher and another pupil were also not telling the truth when they claimed she had confessed she was gay.

French, of Darlington, is accused of grooming one of the former students by plying her with alcohol and cigarettes after stepping in when the then 13-year-old was being bullied at the secondary school in Blackpool, where she taught.

It is alleged they went on to have a sexual relationship between September 2002 and April 2004.

Preston Crown Court heard that she made the pupil wear a ring on her finger and persuaded her to call her "Danny" - a pretend boyfriend - to mask their affair.

French denies three acts of indecent assault and one count of indecency with a child.

A jury was told French went on to have a relationship with another girl she taught at a different school in the Lancashire resort.

The girl moved into French's home in St Annes when she was 16 and a sixth form student.

It is claimed that too became a long-term sexual relationship which lasted three years and that the girl changed her surname by deed poll to French.

Giving evidence, French, of Ashtree Close, said the girl moved in with her in September 2004 with the consent of her mother but she denied it was a sexual relationship.

"There was no sexual relationship but I did care about her and she became part of my family," she said. "I really did care about her, like a mother or an aunt."

She said the girl was a "troubled teenager" who hated her stepfather.

She added: "My heart went out to her. Her mum did not want her, she had nowhere else to go and the idea was to get her back on to some solid footing."

Richard Haworth, cross-examining, asked her why the girl chose to take her name.

"Because she wanted to be part of my family," she said. "I was actually quite honoured that she thought highly of me, that's all."

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