STEWART BATES KIRKBY FARMHOUSE ASSAULT: EX-TEACHER SENTENCED FOR ATTACK ON 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL

In July 2011, a disturbing incident unfolded involving Stewart Bates, a former teacher from Kirkby, who was ultimately convicted and sentenced for assaulting a teenage girl at his secluded farmhouse. The incident took place at Gargreave Cottage, located in Gargreave, Kirkby, where Bates had invited the 16-year-old girl and her friend that evening.

According to court proceedings, Bates, aged 61 at the time, physically assaulted the girl by placing his hands around her neck, pinning her against a wall, and applying pressure with his thumbs on her windpipe. The court heard that Bates had previously engaged in sexual relations with the girl’s friend, and that the girl had ended up visiting his residence that night along with her friend.

Despite denying the charge of common assault, Bates was convicted by a jury following a trial. The jury, however, cleared him of three separate allegations of sexual assault against the girl. The case was presided over by Judge Graham Knowles QC, who sentenced Bates to six years in prison, emphasizing the severity of his misconduct. The judge stated, “A clear, firm message is needed that your behaviour was intolerable and seriously wrong.”

Throughout his career, Bates was known for his long-standing and unblemished record as a religious studies, life skills, and citizenship teacher. His employment was terminated in 2009 after an employment tribunal deemed his dismissal unfair. Despite his professional reputation, the incident last summer marked a significant fall from grace.

During the trial, it was revealed that Bates had encountered the two former pupils again the previous summer. One of the girls had engaged in consensual sexual activity with him and later returned to his home on another occasion, this time bringing her 16-year-old friend. On that visit, Bates was reportedly intoxicated, having consumed nearly two bottles of wine.

Prosecutor Mr. Roger Green detailed the assault, explaining that the girl had gone upstairs to use the toilet when Bates allegedly grabbed her arm, pressed her against a wall, and placed his hands around her neck. He reportedly pressed his thumbs against her windpipe, causing her to plead for him to stop. Bates allegedly made threatening remarks, suggesting that if she refused to sleep with him, he would harm her. The girl managed to push him away and escape the situation.

When questioned during police interviews, Bates claimed he could not remember the incident but suggested he might have only placed his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. His defense argued that there was no sexual motive behind his actions and that the incident might have been misinterpreted.

Further context was provided by Bates’ barrister, Miss Martine Snowdon, who highlighted his personal struggles, including the loss of a child in 1995. She described his career as largely unblemished until his dismissal in 2009, which led to a period of depression and alcohol abuse. The defense emphasized that Bates had suffered significant emotional distress and that the punishment he had already endured was sufficient.

Judge Knowles, in delivering the sentence, acknowledged the girl’s distress and the power imbalance in the situation. He remarked that the girl had been eager to leave but was prevented from doing so by her friend and Bates’s manipulative behavior. The judge condemned Bates for abusing his position of authority, noting that the girl still regarded him as her teacher and that the incident occurred in what was essentially his territory. The court described Bates’s attitude as one of scorn, further underscoring the gravity of his misconduct.