Toowoomba Grammar School teacher Meredith Rawlings denies sexual relationship with Nicholas Brockhurst

Was he a deluded schoolboy infatuated with the older woman? Or did she – the private schoolteacher – systematically groom her young student? The truth may cost more than $1 million.

Meredith Rawlings has been sued in a civil trial by former student Nicholas Brockhurst alleging she began a sexual relationship with him when he was 13. Picture: Dan Peled

A private school teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with her young male student systematically groomed the boy over months building to a “crescendo” when they had sex at her home, his lawyers allege.

Successful Queensland restaurateur and former Toowoomba Grammar School teacher Meredith Rawlings has vigorously denied ever having an inappropriate relationship with the boy which he alleges began when she was aged 29 and he was 13. She has never been charged over the allegations.

Nicholas Brockhurst is suing Mrs Rawlings in the Supreme Court for more than $1 million, claiming their alleged emotional and sexual relationship from 1996 to 1997 caused him psychological damage and impacted his subsequent education and employment prospects.

Meredith Rawlings leaves the Supreme Court in Brisbane. Picture: Dan Peled

The civil trial began in March and was adjourned to this week for the parties to make submissions.

Mrs Rawlings’ barrister Shane MacDonald told the court on Monday Mr Brockhurst’s case had “a number of inconsistencies” and it was the defence case the relationship “simply didn’t happen”.

He submitted that Mr Brockhurst deluded himself into thinking there had been a sexual relationship between the pair because he was so infatuated with the older woman.

“Your honour, he in my respectful submission has over the years deluded himself in whatever sense that something did happen,” Mr MacDonald said.

“He wanted something to happen so bad.”

Nicholas Brockhurst outside the Supreme Court in Brisbane. Picture: Josh Woning

Mr Brockhurst’s barrister Brian Dooley SC said his client was a young and vulnerable new boarding student at the school and Mrs Rawlings began a “grooming process very early on”.

“It’s … a gradual and determined escalation of behaviour towards the goal of sexual intercourse,” Mr Dooley said.

Throughout the trial, the court was shown handwritten notes passed between the teacher and student including instances where Mrs Rawlings wrote the lyrics to songs including Savage Garden’s Truly Madly Deeply and Celine Dion’s Seduces Me.

She gave evidence she wrote out the lyrics at the boy’s request because he wanted to learn to play them on the guitar.

But Mr Dooley submitted that explanation was “entirely inconsistent” and urged Justice Soraya Ryan to reject that evidence.

“The notes are exactly what they seem to be and these songs are exactly what they seem to be and it’s nothing short of foreplay with a view to having sexual intercourse…” he said.

Justice Soraya Ryan reserved her decision.

Outside court, Mr Brockhurst thanked his parents and his Shine Lawyers legal team for their support throughout the case.

“I’m very thankful for their support and what they’ve done for me,” he said.