Neil Usher secures acquittal of female teacher accused of having sex with her pupil

Following a seven day trial, Deborah Lowe, 54, was acquitted of all six counts of sexual activity with a child and sexual activity whilst being in a position of trust. Mrs Lowe was a secondary school teacher accused of grooming and then seducing a 15 year old male pupil in her care. She had always denied the offences, whilst admitting that she did have a sexual relationship with the young man, but only after he had left school and at a time when he was 17, not 15.

The case highlighted the importance of full disclosure of telephone downloads. The prosecution initially refused to disclose the download of the complainant’s mobile phone. Neil made a successful application to the court for the download to be served, as evidence (again, opposed by the prosecution but ordered by the trial judge). The complainant initially told the police he was 17 when the relationship with his ex teacher began. The download revealed that days before the complainant changed his story by now claiming he was 15 when the sex began, he had contacted The Sun newspaper to sell his story as an exclusive. The download searches undertaken by Neil also showed that the complainant then browsed the websites of a leading designer clothes shop and Harvey Nichols before giving his new account to the police.

In a case that attracted significant national media interest, the jury took just over two hours to find Mrs Lowe not guilty on all counts. In a press release following her acquittal Mrs Lowe thanked Neil and his instructing solicitor, Jared McNally of Clifford Johnson solicitors in Manchester.

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