UNITED KINGDOM
Daily Mail
Headteacher who was arrested at his desk on child sex abuse charges and endured year-long court ordeal is cleared by jury in just 15 minutes
By MARTIN ROBINSON FOR MAILONLINE
A respected headmaster was cleared by a jury in just 15 minutes of molesting an unruly pupil in his study.
James Bird, 53, was arrested at his desk and subjected to a year long court ordeal after he was accused of assaulting a boy more than decade ago when he was head of a Church of England primary school.
The boy, now 20, described as ‘aggressive, confrontational and challenging’ by staff had been sent to Mr Bird’s study for being rude to a teacher in class.
Ten years later he went to police after a drinking session with a friend to claim he was forced to perform sex acts upon Mr Bird as ‘punishment’ for being naughty at St Peter’s C or E Primary School, in Accrington, Lancashire.
During the inquiry Mr Bird was suspended and computer and phones were seized from his home in Leyland – but no inappropriate material was found.
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