Girl was abused in first aid class, court told

Jurors in the case of a teacher accused of a string of abuse and cruelty charges have continued to hear evidence from former pupils.
Crown CourtCrown Court
Crown Court

Grahame Brennand, 70, of Calder Avenue, Freckleton, is accused of 48 offences of sexual assault against girls and four of cruelty to boys that allegedly happened when he worked at St John’s Primary School in Baxenden, East Lancashire.

A woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, took to the witness box at Preston Crown Court where she described being abused by Brennand in a first aid club and in the classroom.

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Prosecuting, Bob Golinski asked: "While in the classroom was there physical contact between you and Mr Brennand?

"Was that contact you would consider to be appropriate?"

She replied: "It was inappropriate.

"The contact in the classroom would be as I was sat at my desk, he would stand behind me and he would have his hands over me and point to my book, but in doing so his hand would go inside my top, past my breasts and back out again."

Mr Golinski asked how many times there was that kind of contact, to which she replied: "Definitely more than half a dozen times, maybe more. Quite often. It was fleeting and very quick.

"During the hand down the top incidents he would be pressed against me, his torso and my back.

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"I remember an occasion when I was in the stock room. I was facing the shelves and he came up behind me. I was in between his arms and he would be pressed up against me.

" His hip and groin area were against my back."

She recalled playing the role of a patient in a first aid class in which said she was made to sit on a desk while he touched her private parts.

She said: " He was applying splints to my leg as if it was broken, I was wearing my PE kit.

" He used a ruled on the inside of my leg and a ruler on the outside and bandaged them both.

"He had his hand on the top of my thigh. One of the other children applied the bandage while he was holding down my thigh. He touched me during that time over my shorts."

(proceeding)