BERNADETTE SMITH FROM DENNY ESCAPES JAIL AFTER SCHOOLBOY AFFAIR IN STIRLING

In February 2014, a scandal involving a married teacher from Denny, Bernadette Smith, came to light after she admitted to engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old student. Smith, a history teacher at Bannockburn High School, was found to have abused her position of trust by initiating a sexual relationship with the teenage boy, which included intimate encounters and emotional grooming.

Smith, aged 35 at the time, underwent a series of psychiatric assessments prior to her sentencing hearing. Despite the gravity of her actions, she was not sent to prison. Instead, she received a two-year community payback order and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for the same duration. The court proceedings revealed that she appeared visibly surprised when the sheriff decided against incarceration, leaving Stirling Sheriff Court with a broad grin on her face.

The details of the case, as reported by The Record in November of the previous year, outlined how Smith had groomed the young student, Gary, during a lunchtime meeting in her classroom. She called him in for a private chat, during which she expressed her feelings for him, telling him she loved him. Following this, the pair went to a nearby park where they shared their first kiss. The situation escalated when Gary’s grandmother discovered the relationship and reported it to the school, leading to Smith’s suspension on September 19.

Despite her suspension, Smith visited Gary’s home hours after their meeting. The two spent the night together in his bed, with Smith removing her jeans and bra. She later confided in police and colleagues that she was in love with the boy, whom she described as a caring individual struggling to trust others due to issues within his family. Gary, who chose to waive his anonymity to speak with the Daily Record, recounted how Smith initially called him for a lunchtime chat, which he thought was about his well-being. He recalled feeling embarrassed as she sat close to him and then confessed her feelings. Gary admitted he was stunned and knew her actions were wrong.

He further described how Smith took him to a playpark, kissed him, and left lovebites on his neck. He expressed regret, stating, “What she did was wrong. If I was in her husband’s position I wouldn’t be happy. I just wish none of this ever happened, and that I’d said no.”

During the sentencing, Sheriff Wyllie Robertson emphasized the seriousness of the abuse of trust involved in the case. While acknowledging that the offense was at the lower end of the spectrum and that psychiatric reports suggested it might not have escalated further, he highlighted the breach of professional conduct expected from teachers. The sheriff noted that Smith’s personal difficulties, including her troubled marriage, did not justify her actions, and she had already suffered significant consequences, including losing her job, her career, and her marriage. The media attention had also added to her humiliation.

Sheriff Robertson pointed out that Smith had accepted full responsibility and that the sexual activity was limited. He also noted that there was no evidence of long-term harm to the victim and that the risk of reoffending was low, with only two of seventeen risk factors identified by psychologists. Consequently, a prison sentence was deemed unnecessary, though the sheriff warned that had her conduct gone further, imprisonment might have been justified.

Smith’s solicitor, Andrew Gibb of the Educational Institute of Scotland teaching union, argued that the incident had devastating effects on her career, stating she would never return to teaching. He expressed remorse on her behalf, emphasizing her regret and her apology to the court. The court was also informed that Smith was scheduled to stand trial later in the year for allegedly failing to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders’ Register, specifically attending a police station more than three days after being placed on the register—a charge she denies. Smith remains temporarily suspended from the General Teaching Council and is expected to have her name removed from the teaching register in the upcoming months.