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…