Belfast teacher Judith Evans, 33, charged with sexually abusing a student

A teacher in Northern Ireland was accused of sexually abusing a student.

Judith Evans, 33, from Newtownabbey, will face court later this year for sexual offences she allegedly committed against a male student.

Ms Evans, who taught at Belfast Boys' Model School, appeared at Belfast Crown Court last Wednesday to deny 11 charges.

The Belfast Telegraph reported that her name could now be released after her lawyers failed at the last minute to prevent her being identified as a defendant.

Confirmed her identity

At last week's hearing, Ms Evans was accompanied to the dock by her lawyer Adrian Harvey and confirmed her identity to a court clerk before denying the allegations, which spanned a four-month period earlier this year.

It is alleged that between March 1 and May 17, Ms Evans communicated with a child “for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification.”

When asked how she pleaded, she replied: “Not guilty.”

She is also accused of meeting a child after being sexually solicited twice during the same period. She pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Ms Evans also denied two counts of inducing or inciting a child to engage in a sexual act and two counts of intentionally touching a child sexually, including penetration.

She denies the allegation of causing a child to view an image of a person engaging in sexual acts “with the aim of obtaining sexual gratification”.

The secondary school teacher pleaded not guilty to two counts of possessing an indecent image of the student.

Accusation of perverting the course of justice

She is also accused of obstructing justice by falsely accusing the boy of sexual abuse between June 13 and June 27 of this year, but she has pleaded not guilty.

Laura Ivers KC, representing Ms Evans, told Judge Patricia Smyth that the defence was requesting forensic and psychiatric reports ahead of the trial.

No further details about the alleged offence emerged during the arraignment, but Mr Harvey said at an earlier hearing that his client claimed she was a victim in the encounters with the student.

He said his client was “also a plaintiff in this case” and confirmed that she had been suspended from school.

Released on bail

Judge Patricia Smyth, sitting in Belfast, set a trial date of 4 November and granted the defence's request to release the accused on further bail.

Ms Evans' name was chosen after her lawyers argued on Friday that her name should not be used for several reasons, including that she had filed a criminal complaint herself and there were concerns about her mental health.

They also argued that mentioning their name could jeopardize the student's identification and undermine the administration of justice.

However, Fergal McGoldrick, representing the Northern Irish newspapers Sunday Life and Belfast Telegraph, objected on the grounds that, given the allegations against them, there was no legal basis for preventing their identification.

Importance of an open court hearing

Judge Smyth stressed the importance of a public hearing and declined to make an order preventing the identification of Ms Evans.

She gave the teacher's legal representatives until 6 p.m. Saturday to present evidence from a psychiatrist and any other arguments.

However, on Saturday evening, Ms Evans confirmed that no further arguments would be put forward.