The Times - UK (2021-11-25)

30 2GM Thursday November 25 2021 | the times

News

Teacher who had lesbian

affair with pupil is jailed

A female teacher of the year contender
who pressured a teenage pupil into an
“intense and passionate” affair has
been jailed for two years.
The victim, 16, said she lost her vir-
ginity to Erin Hebblewhite in a restau-
rant bathroom.
When police seized the teacher’s

mobile phone they found photographs
of her naked in bed with the teenager.
Hebblewhite, 29, groomed the girl
with text messages at the time she was
shortlisted for London’s Sports Teacher
of the Year award.
The charges of sexual activity with
the girl, who cannot be identified,
include kissing at Connaught School
for Girls in Leytonstone, east London.

When the school heard gossip of a rela-

tionship, which it did not believe, it

warned Hebblewhite to be “careful”

otherwise she could “get into trouble”,

Snaresbrook crown court was told.

Hebblewhite admitted to seven char-

ges that included abusing her position

to groom and sexually abuse a girl aged

between 13 and 16.

Fiona Bryan, for the prosecution,

said: “[The victim] explained that she

did feel pressurised and felt she had

given in to pressure to behave more and

more sexually from the defendant. Ms

Hebblewhite viewed it as playing hard

to get but this was because [the teen-

ager] was inexperienced and nervous”.

After Hebblewhite, from Brighton,

broke up with her partner the teenager

became a regular visitor to her home.

Bethan Rogers, for the defence, said:

“She did not believe that at the time she

saw her behaviour as forceful and

grooming. She is painfully aware the

damage to the victim is both wide-

ranging [and] long-lasting.”

Judge Neil Sanders also banned Heb-

blewhite from contacting the victim or

working with children in any capacity.

David Brown

ASADOUR GUZELIAN

Elite Ranger force

to battle extremists

An elite fighting force capable of going

into battle on four fronts has been

announced by the army as part of a

transformation of the service.

Two of the four battalions in the

1,200-strong Ranger Regiment will be

sent to Africa, the third will focus on

emerging conflicts in eastern Europe

and the fourth will be deployed to the

Middle East. Brigadier Gus Fair, the

Rangers’ commander, said that the

soldiers would be sent to countries that

were unstable and facing threats from

violent extremist organisations.

They have been selected for their

military skills but also for “emotional

intelligence” as they are expected to

forge relationships with local troops.

Ben Wallace, the defence secretary,

will detail the changes to the army’s

structure in a Commons statement to-

day. The service is undergoing its most

radical transformation in two decades.

He is expected to say that the size of the

army will shrink from 82,000 to 73,000

— not 72,500 as stated in the govern-

ment’s integrated review. The infantry

is expected to bear the brunt of the cuts.

It is understood the Rangers’ mis-

sions will begin early next year. Their

work will not be secret and will be sub-

ject to parliamentary oversight, unlike

special forces soldiers. They will often

operate in 12-strong teams. Some will

be expected to learn languages to speak

to allies in their native tongue.

The Rangers will wear new uniforms,

with a new cap badge and beret and will

carry state-of-the-art weapons, includ-

ing drones. Fair said: “We are a force

capable of operating with our partners,

not just assisting and enabling them.

Larisa Brown Defence Editor

Erin Hebblewhite

groomed the girl

via text messages,

a court was told

Pipe dream The 50ft tall organ at Leeds Town Hall, one of the largest in Europe, will be restored at a cost of £1.8 million

Puma drones,

already in use in

Mali, can travel

long distances

Tactical micro

drones can

provide a short-

range video feed

to a Ranger on

the ground