A TEACHER who was charged with kissing and groping a youngster in a club acknowledged that she had had a “excessive” amount of alcohol that evening.
wife and mother of two Ashley McConnell claimed to remember the student who was in front of her, but she couldn’t recall anything else about their interaction, including whether or not they danced.
When McConnell, who was 30 at the time, went out with pals in the Scottish Highlands in March 2018, she said she was ordering two drinks at a time as well as shots.
The physics teacher, who taught at Thurso High School, allegedly kissed the 17-year-old after going to the bar Skinandi’s.
Pupils also reportedly observed her stroking the lad’s groyne and holding hands with him.
They dobbed her in after she urged them to “f*** off”, it’s said.
As she is questioned by the General Council for Scotland (GTCS) about her actions that evening, McConnell is in a battle for her job.
She referred to the student she is accused of kissing as Pupil A and said: “The conversation’s topic from that evening escapes me.
“That was the case; I didn’t really remember much in detail about the event.
“I don’t remember dancing with him but that isn’t to say I didn’t dance with him.
“I also don’t recall some of the other things that may have happened, but I was simply trying to be as truthful as I could be in saying that.
“I think kissing someone is really important; it’s something I’ll remember.”
The pupil told school bosses he kissed her “three or four times”, it was heard.
McConnell claimed that she spent the most of the evening on the dance floor or in the smoking area.
Everyone, she added, acts in ways they wouldn’t normally act when they consume large amounts of alcohol.
As she is questioned by the General Council for Scotland (GTCS) about her actions that evening, McConnell is in a battle for her job.
Referring to the kid she reportedly kissed as Pupil A, she said: “I can’t remember the content of the conversation [on the night].
“That was the truth, my remembrance of the evening was not clear, nothing really in detail.
“I don’t remember dancing with him but that isn’t to say I didn’t dance with him.
As she is questioned by the General Council for Scotland (GTCS) about her actions that evening, McConnell is in a battle for her job.
Referring to the kid she reportedly kissed as Pupil A, she said: “I can’t remember the content of the conversation [on the night].
“That was the truth, my remembrance of the evening was not clear, nothing really in detail.
“I don’t remember dancing with him but that isn’t to say I didn’t dance with him.
MISS ACCUSED
“I can recall some of the night, so it’s not like I passed out and forgot what happened.
“I don’t know why, it’s just the result of consuming a lot of booze,” the speaker said.
