Former teacher Sarah Elizabeth Collins found guilty of sexual relationship with female student
A teacher who engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a female student more than a decade her junior has made a bid for bail.
Blacktown
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A married teacher who engaged in a sexual relationship with a female student more than a decade her junior has been found guilty of 17 charges following a lengthy court trial.
Sarah Elizabeth Collins, 41, was found guilty at Penrith District Court on Friday of 17 of 19 charges relating to the relationship, including multiple counts of indecent assault and sexual intercourse with someone under 16.
Immediately after the jury delivered the verdict the prosecution applied to detain Collins, who resides at Tempe near Marrickville, telling the court it was highly likely she would be sentenced to prison.
The court heard Collins was a teacher to the 15-year-old victim when she “took an interest” in the victim’s soccer, before helping her after she was injured in a sports-related incident.
Sometime after, the pair shared a kiss in Collin’s car outside of the victim’s home.
The court heard one of the charges of sexual intercourse later occurred in the family home.
“This was a married woman, and it was her first experience with a lesbian relationship,” Collin’s lawyer said.
“Unlike an ‘atypical’ child sex offence, this is a relationship in which the victim was complicit.
“The relationship continued for sometime after Collins was no longer the victim’s teacher.”
Collin’s lawyer said the 41-year-old had “gained the trust” of the victim’s family, but argued it would be difficult for prosecutors to establish that it was for the purposes of “grooming” – for which she has not been charged.
The court heard Collins had remained a teacher following the relationship, including in western NSW.
“This is an individual that has been entrusted with children for a very long time,” Collins’ lawyer said. “Up until her being charged, she had an extensive and embellished record as a teacher.
“In 2020, she moved to Hillston High School where she has led a project-based learning system. In that program, she was working with students taken out of mainstream learning.”
Collins’ lawyer told the court she was ineligible for a community-based sentence and needed time to “say goodbye”.
The court heard Collins’ 81-year-old father was unwell, as she was supported in court by her family.
In her determination, Judge Sophia Beckett said Collins’ faced a possible maximum prison term of 10 years.
“We are dealing with a situation where there is great impropriety and breaches of authority, where Collins engaged in a consensual relationship for quite some period of time,” she said.
“But, I cannot say with certainty that in the case of a relationship that commenced with teacher and pupil that the offender will be sentenced to full-time jail, even if I consider it to be likely.”
Justice Beckett granted Collins’ strict conditional bail, including thrice-weekly reporting to police.
She will reappear before the same court on June 30 for sentencing.
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