Last updated 19:45, Thursday, 17 July 2008

A MARYPORT school caretaker wept with relief on Monday when she was found not guilty on charges of assaulting four teenagers.

Ann Martin, 49, of Church Street, Maryport, would have lost her job and her home if she had been convicted.

Mrs Martin entered the Workington magistrates court for trial facing a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm and a charge of assault.

But two more teenagers arrived at the court and added their accusations.

The charge of actual bodily harm was dropped and, instead, Mrs Martin faced charges of four counts of common assault committed on children aged from 13 to 16 years old, arising from an incident in the school grounds on Sunday, March 9, this year.

She denied all charges.

The witnesses could not be identified because they are under 18 and gave their evidence by video link.

They said they went to Maryport Junior School after being moved from the town centre by police.

In their evidence, they said they had gone to the school because nobody would bother them.

Asked if they had been drinking or smoking, all admitted smoking but gave conflicting evidence about alcohol.

A 13-year-old girl said everyone had some wine and she had drunk about 10 mouthfuls.

A boy, who was 14 at the time, said there had been some cider.

Another girl, aged 15, said there had been no alcohol and a fourth, a 16-year-old, said she and two others had shared a two-litre bottle of wine before going to the school.

All told the court that they were sitting in an enclosure where bins were kept when Mrs Martin found them and forcefully told them to leave.

They claimed that she hit each of them with a stick.

The 16-year-old girl said she was hit on the head and leg and had been dizzy.

Mrs Martin, represented by Natalie Darwen admitted using ‘choice’ language and that she had found the teenagers on the property shortly after her husband told her that three windows had been broken.

She suggested that the police be called after some parents of the teenagers, with the young people, arrived at her home later that night, angry that she had allegedly attacked their children.

Stuart Pattinson, prosecuting, said the evidence of the young people was consistent and they had not deviated from their account, despite having to face a court hearing.

Magistrates Austin Coote, Mark Gear and Elizabeth Reynolds found the case was not proved beyond reasonable doubt.

Mr Coote said the case was one of plausibility and that the magistrates felt that the evidence of the young people was inconsistent when referring to alcohol and to the injuries received by each.

But he said Mrs Martin had presented her evidence fully and frankly and was entirely believable.

Speaking after the trial, Mrs Martin said she wanted to thank the many people who had supported her. She declined to say anything about the case.