Jailed Marlborough teacher may keep job (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Jailed Marlborough teacher may keep job

9:30am Friday 27th January 2012 in Marlborough By Nigel Kerton

The career of Latin and classics teacher Eleanor Brown may not be over as St John’s School governors have not ruled out her return when she ends her 20-month prison sentence.

In December a jury at Salisbury Crown Court unanimously found Brown guilty of causing death dangerous driving which she had denied although she admitted the lesser offence of causing death by careless driving.

Brown’s car crashed into moped rider Lee Roberts, 35, on the Devizes to Pewsey back road in October 2010, killing him instantly.

Last week, at Swindon Crown Court, Judge Douglas Field told Brown, who lives in Holts Row, Marlborough, he was sending her to prison for 20 months and expected her to serve ten months before she could be released on licence.

That means that Brown, who was a student at the Marlborough school, before she went to university and qualified to be a teacher, should be released in October.

Before she was convicted, Brown’s head of department Sarah Bumphrey and St John’s headteacher Patrick Hazlewood praised her work with Dr Hazlewood saying that in the three years she had been at the school she had proved to be “a gifted teacher”.

On Tuesday Dr Hazlewood and the school governors issued a statement saying they would not make a decision about Brown’s future until her release from prison.

The statement read: “Following the custodial sentence given to Miss Ellie Brown following her conviction for causing death by dangerous driving, the governors of St John’s School have considered her future.

“Throughout her employment Miss Brown has been an exemplary teacher, always professional in every aspect of her role and dedicated to the success of her students.

“Her contribution to the teaching of classics and Latin has been very significant and her willingness to participate in and lead school visits abroad during her holidays is of particular note.

“In considering the full picture the governors took the position that the custodial sentence was the punishment determined by the judge for this offence.

“In the wider interests of the students and the future of classics teaching at St John’s therefore Miss Brown has been instructed to take unpaid leave until January 2013.

“A full review of the case will be undertaken on her release from prison.”

Dr Hazlewood said he was unable to add anything to the statement.

The mother of one of Miss Brown’s pupils, a 13-year-old girl, who asked not to be named said: “My daughter tells me she is a brilliant teacher and all the children respect her and want her to return.

“It’s not easy for schools to find good classics and Latin teachers and she has been given her punishment and should be allowed to return to her job at St John’s.”