A former headteacher at a High Wycombe primary school is on trial accused of child sexual offences.

Angus Blackmore, 57, was headteacher at Beechview Academy from 2016 and is alleged to have sexually assaulted a child and engaged in sexual communications with a child in June 2018. The school suspended him from the role soon afterwards.

He is also accused of four counts of sexual assault against a second child between September 2015 and July 2017.

Blackmore, of Tylers Green, has denied the charges against him. He has been on trial at Amersham Law Courts this week.

The court heard today (Friday) how Blackmore “sexually touched” an alleged victim during his time at Beechview Academy by moving his hand up and down her leg.

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Taking to the witness box, Blackmore stated that the pupil had behavioural problems and that he touched her for “one second” to get her to concentrate.

He said: “She (the complainant) was very agitated, wouldn’t sit still, wouldn’t stop looking out of the window. I was trying to have a conversation with her.

“I touched her on her right knee, probably tapped her two times and said ‘listen’ or ‘concentrate’”.

“In all, it was about one second.”

The court heard how Blackmore began his teaching career at Hamilton Academy in 2009, where he taught reception, year one, and then went on to become deputy head.

In 2016 he took on the headteacher job at Beechview, which he held until June 2019, when he was suspended. Blackmore was charged in June 2020

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The court heard from prosecutor Ian Hope how Blackmore held multiple “informal” one-to-ones with this student in his office to discuss her behaviour but did not take any notes on the meetings.

Mr Hope also alleged that Blackmore had put up a sign on his office door saying “please be patient, I am with a child at present” to stop people from disturbing them.

Blackmore denied that he put the sign up himself and stated that he did not like using it.

Mr Hope said: “You put your hand on the bare flesh of her leg while alone in the room with her. That’s completely the wrong thing to do, isn’t it?”

In response, Blackmore said: “I did it to get her attention. On reflection, I shouldn’t have done it.”

Mr Hope also accused Blackmore of hugging the girl, which he denied, and when the prosecution accused him of being “fascinated” with the girl, he stated that he was “fascinated by her behaviour”.

When defence barrister Kim Preston asked Blackmore to describe the impact the accusations have had on his life and his family, he said: “It’s been probably the most destructive thing that has ever happened, or that I could ever have imagined.”

Angus Blackmore is charged with five counts of sexually assaulting a child and one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child. He denies the charges against him.

The trial continues.

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