Case dropped against teacher who taped pupils' mouths

A supply teacher accused of taping a rowdy class's lips together to keep them quiet walked free from court today after a judge dismissed an assault charge against her.

Bridgette Tarwala, 53, was accused of assaulting a nine-year-old girl when she taped her lips together along with those of classmates to keep them quiet.

Prosecutor James Burnham told the court the incident had caused "distress" to one of the children to whom the charge related. But during cross-examination by Rachel Robertson today, the child admitted that she had willingly lined up to have tape placed on her lips.

Ms Tarwala, of Basingstoke, had been working at the Worting County Junior School on 26 February when the incident happened.

After struggling to control the class during an art lesson, she asked one of the children to fetch a roll of sticky tape to tape their lips together, Alton Magistrates' Court heard. Mr Burnham said: "The class had been unruly ... They were constantly talking and she was not able to persuade them not to."

But today District Judge John Woollard dismissed the charge against Ms Tarwala, saying: "I'm sorry that the system has put you through what it has put you through. The charge, in my view, should not have come to court."

The parents of the other pupils allegedly involved had refused to let their children take part in the court proceedings.