BRIDLINGTON TEACHING ASSISTANT LINDSAY COLLETT ESCAPES JAIL AFTER TEEN PUPIL AFFAIR

In August 2008, a married teaching assistant from Bridlington named Lindsey Jane Collett was involved in a scandal that drew significant attention from local authorities and the community. Collett, aged 26 at the time, was accused of engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a teenage pupil from Headlands School in Bridlington, which lasted approximately four months. The incident came to light when it was revealed that she had sent the 16-year-old boy provocative text messages and a photograph of herself wearing a SpongeBob SquarePants bra, raising serious concerns about her conduct and the boundaries of her professional role.

Collett, who was pregnant and a mother of two, had initially become friendly with the student while assisting him with his coursework at the school. The court was informed that their relationship extended beyond the classroom, facilitated by social media interactions on Facebook. The court heard that the two had met in a park for a brief encounter involving a kiss and cuddling, which was described as a physical contact that the magistrates considered to be minimal but inappropriate given her position of trust.

One of the text messages she sent to the boy read, “Every time you touch me you turn me on. When I see you I feel light-headed,” indicating the emotional and possibly physical intimacy that had developed. Additionally, she expressed her love for him in other messages. The court was told that Collett had tried to discourage the relationship at times, stating, “We have got to stop this,” but the emotional connection persisted.

During the hearing, Collett was visibly distressed, sobbing hysterically as she admitted to abusing her position of trust. She was charged with misconduct between October and February, and her actions were scrutinized given her role at the school. Despite the gravity of her position, the magistrates considered the physical contact to be limited and took this into account when passing judgment.

The court also heard that Collett had attracted attention from other male pupils at the school, but her affections were solely directed toward this particular student. The prosecution, led by Carl Codd, explained that the relationship was primarily confined to interactions outside school hours, including occasional lifts home and meetings in public parks, where kissing and cuddling took place. There was no evidence to suggest that the relationship had gone beyond these boundaries.

Victoria Lancaster, representing Collett, argued that her client was young, attractive, and inexperienced, and that the pupil was relatively mature for his age. She emphasized that Collett had tried to prevent the relationship and had no guidance on how to handle such a situation. She also pointed out that there was no suggestion of sexual intercourse between the two, and that both parties were hurt by the situation.

In sentencing, magistrate Robin Sunley acknowledged her guilty plea and noted that her role at the school would typically make such an offence more serious. However, he also highlighted that the physical contact was minimal, which influenced the court’s decision. Collett was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £43. As she left the court, she tearfully expressed her feelings by saying, “I love you, mum.” The court’s ruling aimed to balance the seriousness of her misconduct with the circumstances of the case, ultimately opting for a lenient sentence given the context.