A teacher who had a sexual contact with a student while working at a prestigious private school had her prison term cut by 11 months.
Following the development of a friendship with the 15-year-old girl who had confided in her about a personal matter, Nicola Park, 42, was sentenced to 27 months in prison in April.
They soon began having private affairs, including stays at Park’s house, with the teacher referring to the girl as “my angel.”
After the student moved to university in 2020, their communication ended. However, after she revealed the relationship to her doctor, a police inquiry was started.
Officers found several items linking the two when they searched Park’s residence, including pictures of a “sexual nature.”
At Glasgow Sheriff Court, she admitted to having a sexual contact with the student between December 9, 2016, and April 14, 2019, all while holding a position of trust.
After her legal team successfully argued that the original sentence was “excessive,” her prison term was reduced to 16 months.
Judges Lord Matthews and Lord Doherty at the Court of Criminal Appeal denied a request for Park to get a non-custodial sentence, nevertheless, after a hearing.
‘There was a large degree of planning and a high level of grooming leading to an improper personal relationship, which continued for a considerable amount of time,’ wrote Lord Matthews in his written ruling.
“The appellant created circumstances in which she was alone with the complainant in her home, her car, and other places.”
She could have ended the relationship at any point because she knew it was wrong, but she decided not to.
Even though the appellant showed regret, we noticed that she misrepresented the truth when she told the author of the Criminal Justice Social Work Report that the complainer was mostly at blame for what transpired.
Despite this, there is merit to the argument that the penalty was disproportionate.
Ark taught math and social studies in addition to being the assistant housemistress at the school, which cannot be named for legal reasons.
The girl allegedly became agitated and spoke to Park in December 2016 after claiming that she felt “alone.”
She said that Park would not comprehend how she felt, prosecutor Jennifer McKee stated to the court. After recently divorcing her husband, she said that she did understand.
Park provided the kid with support, which enabled her to deal with her emotions.
The teacher informed the adolescent that she could reach her after school hours. Then, emails were sent and received on a regular basis, even ones on Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Park continued by addressing herself as “Auntie Nic” and ending with several kisses.
After entering a guilty plea in March, Park, of Bearsden, near Glasgow, was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years.
Additionally, the authorities received her information with the note that she is “unsuitable to deal with children.”
Sheriff John McCormick informed her that this wasn’t a slip-up in an otherwise spotless teaching career.
‘This involved kissing, touching, and participating in sexual actions between a teacher in her late 30s and a young female adolescent.
You held a position of trust and responsibility because you were a teacher.
There is, in my judgment, no other option than a jail sentence because of the seriousness of the offense, the timing of it, and the defendant’s employment as a teacher at the institution.