Mother who launched hate campaign against primary school headteacher and spread fake rumours claiming he sexually abused her daughter walks free

Theresa Hughes, 39, admitted harassing headteacher Phil Jackson

She sent a letter to him and bombarded the school with phone calls

Hughes then told another parent teacher had abused her young daughter

Allegations were 'as stressful as being diagnosed with cancer' for head

Hughes walked free from court but must carry out 80 hours of unpaid work



A disgruntled mother launched a hate campaign against a primary school headteacher by spreading false rumours that he had sexually abused her daughter has walked free from court.

Teresa Hughes, 39, sent a 'garbled' hand-written letter to Phil Jackson and then bombarded the school with phone calls accusing him of trying to force her daughter out of the school.

She then met another parent inside a nearby Tesco and pretended Mr Jackson had been suspended for touching her young daughter.

Hughes, of Warndon Villages, Worcester, admitted one charge of harassment when she appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court earlier this month.

But she was today spared jail when she was sentenced to a 12 month community order with supervision and ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work at the same court.



Sentenced: Teresa Hughes, 39, pictured left, has walked free from Worcester magistrates court after pleading guilty to harassment of primary school headteacher Phil Jackson, pictured right



Hughes accused Mr Jackson of trying to force her daughter out of Lyppard Grange primary School in Worcester, Worcestershire

She was also ordered to pay £145 court costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

District Judge Nigel Cadbury said: 'In some respects a garbled letter and some strange voicemail messages and a couple of conversations in a supermarket may not have been serious.

'But when you’re making false allegations against a headteacher it’s extremely serious because as we’ve heard it seriously affected that person’s private life, his reputation and the stress it caused in relation to his job.

'People in positions of responsibility are there and up there to be shot at and it’s a very easy target and the effect on those people when false allegations are made is extremely damaging.

'And that’s what’s serious about this case. You could have destroyed somebody’s career with untruths.

'I’m going to make a community order, you’ve come very very close to a suspended sentence.

'I think you must realise just how close you came to a suspended term of imprisonment.'

The court heard how the 'malicious unfounded allegations' caused Mr Jackson so much stress that he likened it to being diagnosed with cancer.

Hughes started the smear campaign following an incident in the school playground on June 11 last year.

The court heard Mr Jackson was in the school playground welcoming students into the school when Teresa Hughes' daughter approached him saying she wanted to speak to him.

Abuse: Hughes sent a hand-written letter to Mr Jackson before bombarding Lyppard Grange Primary School in Worcester with phone calls

Let go: Teresa Hughes, pictured leaving Worcester Magistrates Court on Monday, was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work



He said he would find her later and she went off but Hughes then went up to him two minutes later, raised both her arms in the air, and then walked away.

On the same day a letter arrived for the headteacher, who had been at the school since 2009, which said that Hughes had felt used.

The court was told that Mr Jackson had found the letter confusing and showed it to his deputy head, who told the governors about it and contacted the local authority.



Staff and governors sent a reply to Hughes after a meeting at the school two days later.

But Hughes then left ten rambling answerphone messages on the school phone between 5.25pm on June 14 and 9.03pm on June 15.

Some said her daughter would not be returning to the school, while others accused staff of trying to force her daughter to leave.

In the voicemails, Hughes claimed they were trying to get her daughter to leave the school and said she would not let Mr Jackson 'get away with it'.

The mother then saw another parent in a supermarket and told him that Mr Jackson, who had been at the school since 2009, had sexually assaulted her daughter.

'The defendant’s actions towards Mr Jackson caused him an amount of stress which he likens to when he was diagnosed with cancer'

Prosecutor Adrian Jones

Prosecutor Adrian Jones told the court: 'On June 18 Mr Rogers dropped his children off and walked to Tesco.

'He was aware of Miss Hughes because he has a daughter in the same class as her daughter.

'He was minding his own business when he saw Miss Hughes. He removed his headphones and noticed her daughter was with her.

'She said "don’t tell anyone but Mr Jackson has been suspended".

'He asked why to which she replied whispering "for touching my daughter".



'The defendant’s actions towards Mr Jackson caused him an amount of stress which he likens to when he was diagnosed with cancer.'

Mark Lister, defending, said her daughter, who no longer attends the school, had been taken into care as a result of this case because of concerns for her 'emotional health'.

He added: 'It involves a letter which was garbled. It’s also fair to say she left a number of telephone messages over one weekend. Again they are garbled.

'By far the most serious part is what she has said to people in the supermarket.

'Miss Hughes is not currently residing with her daughter or perhaps more accurately her daughter is not residing with her.

'Proceedings have been taken to remove her and she is currently staying with foster parents as a direct result of these allegations on the basis of emotional concerns for the daughter’s health.

'She acknowledges of course that her behaviour was wholly wrong.'

District Judge Cadbury also decided not to put a restraining order in place banning Hughes from having any contact with Mr Jackson after the court heard she had avoided the headteacher ever since being arrested for the incident.