DARII POUCHER, TEACHER FROM GRIMSBY, SENTENCED FOR GROOMING 14-YEAR-OLD SCHOOLGIRL

In July 2014, Darri Poucher, a teacher in Grimsby, was sentenced to prison for grooming a 14-year-old student. Poucher, aged 31, attentively nurtured a close relationship with the girl, meeting her at a nightclub where he bought her alcohol and allegedly touched her inappropriately by slipping his hand under her top.

He became overly familiar with the pupil, referring to her as "babes" in private Facebook messages and grooming her for sexual purposes. Despite denying the charges, Poucher was sentenced to one year in prison at Grimsby Crown Court. The judge described him as "manipulative," "deceitful," and "a manipulative, deceitful, resourceful fraudster with an unsavoury eye for young girls."

Judge David Tremberg remarked: “You are a manipulative, deceitful, resourceful fraudster with an unsavoury eye for young girls. You are an unreconstructed sex offender and it’s necessary to protect the public from the risk of serious sexual harm from you. These offences were a serious breach of trust. It was committed over some time and there was a significant age difference between you. These offences are so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate for them.”

Poucher had been working as a supply teacher at a school in Grimsby, which cannot be named for legal reasons, since 2009. Prosecutor Michael Smith stated: “She began to notice that she was different from the other girls in the class because he was making so much of her. It became clear to her that he appeared to take a particular interest in her. He was talking to her more often than he would the others. He would see her after school and chat with her. He was making her feel that she was a favoured pupil. He began messaging her on Facebook in a way that was wholly inappropriate for a teacher.”

The messages between Poucher and the girl involved discussions about the X Factor and music, with Poucher calling her "babes" and she responded with terms like "love." One message included her remark: “Gosh, you are a geek.” Mr. Smith commented: “She should not have been doing it, but what was he doing allowing that sort of behaviour? He was prepared to approach this young lady, who was one of his pupils.”

The girl disclosed that she had told Poucher she was going to a nightclub in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. Poucher deliberately traveled to the same nightclub to find and speak with her. He acted friendly, putting his arm around her, buying her drinks with alcohol, and allegedly touching her by slipping his hand under her top and stroking her back.

Mr. Smith explained: “He intentionally met her in the Pier nightclub and he intended to do something which involved the commission of a sexual offence. He was being touchy-feely. He put his hand on her bottom. He was dancing very close up to her. He sexually assaulted her. The touching was sexual. He knew full well that she was not 16 or over, and the touching was sexual.”

The following Monday, Poucher approached the girl at school and apologized if he had embarrassed her at the nightclub. He subsequently left the school but continued to send messages until April 2012. The case was uncovered when the girl discussed her career plans with another teacher, mentioning her Facebook exchanges and meeting with Poucher.

Despite admitting to being friendly with her and having met in the club, Poucher denied purchasing her alcohol or touching her inappropriately. He claimed he had reported these interactions to other teachers at the school, who, according to him, had no recollection of such reports.

Currently residing on Hay Barn Road in Deeping St Nicholas near Spalding, Lincolnshire, Poucher was also subjected to a 10-year sexual offences prevention order, restricting future contact with girls under 16, and is required to register as a sex offender for a decade. In separate incidents, Poucher had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud for falsely claiming to be a qualified teacher—one between May and July 2011 and another between September and May 2012. He was sentenced to two years in prison, to run consecutively for those offences.