Former Vernon elementary school teacher Deborah Ashton has been found not guilty of all charges stemming from allegations she had a two-year affair with a 12-year-old student.
The 47-year-old was acquitted Wednesday of five counts, including sexual assault and sexual interference with a person under the age of 14, in B.C. Supreme Court.
While Justice Alison Beames said she thought it was probable or even likely that Ashton had sex with the boy, inconsistencies in the alleged victim's story did not support a conviction. The judge also said the fact that the boy did not notice a large tattoo on Ashton's abdomen contributed to her decision.
The reaction in the courthouse was split, with some shedding tears of joy and others visibly devastated on behalf of the alleged victim, now 22 years old. Ashton left the building without speaking to reporters, but later told CTV News by phone that she feels great about the decision even though she has serious doubts about the justice system.
Outside the court, Ashton's supporters expressed their relief.
"I'm so happy she got free today, because she is innocent," family friend Alyssa Ready said.
But those on the alleged victim's side said they were disappointed, like Gwen Holt, who worked as a counsellor at the school where the alleged affair began.
"[I'm] thinking about people in the same situation, the courage that it took for those boys to go through this, and that there are other victims that maybe are reluctant to come forward when something like this happens," Holt said.
The young man has testified he was not forced into a sexual relationship, though he would have been too young to consent.
Ashton was alleged to have engaged in roughly 200 sexual encounters with the boy beginning in 2003, when she was a teacher and basketball coach at Mission Hill and the boy was in her Grade 7 class.
During the trial, her lawyer Terry LaLiberte questioned the alleged victim's credibility, suggesting he had been caught in a lie he started telling to impress his friends.
"He's painted himself into a corner and as years go by there's not much he can do," LaLiberte said Tuesday after delivering his closing submissions in the case.
Crown prosecutors acknowledged inconsistencies in the young man's testimony, but said his story rings true nonetheless.
A key witness in the trial was Ashton's ex-husband, Mike Jellema, who testified that he found condoms in the couple's en suite bathroom, and at one point hid in a closet and saw the alleged victim visiting the house alone.
A previous trial for Ashton ended a year ago with a hung jury.
With files from CTV British Columbia's Kent Molgat
