Teacher accused of 'having sex in field' with pupil, 15, 'told boy she would bring him down with her'

A married teacher accused of “having sex” in a field with a 15-year-old pupil told the boy she would “bring him down with her”, a court has heard.

Kandice Barber, 35, from Wendover, Buckinghamshire, is being tried for a second time over allegations made when she was working as a school cover supervisor.

On Monday, a prosecutor told a court “they engaged in sexual intercourse at the time he was 15 years of age and she was a teacher and he was a pupil at the school”.

The prosecutor said “they proceeded to have sex” in a field after Barber messaged the boy and picked him up in her car.

The court heard she told the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, she would “bring him down with her” if he made an allegation of rape against her.

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She was convicted last September of sending the boy topless pictures of herself on Snapchat between September and October 2018, but was acquitted of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activities while in a position of trust.

Jurors at Aylesbury Crown Court were unable to reach verdicts on three more serious charges of causing or inciting a child aged under 16 to engage in a sexual act.

Prosecutor Richard Milne told jurors at Amersham Law Courts on Monday that Barber faces retrial on three counts of causing or inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity.

He said Barber approached the pupil at a sports presentation in September 2018, and took his phone before adding herself to his Snapchat, which the boy thought was “a bit weird”.

Mr Milne added that the messages had initially been normal, but had “become sexual” about a week later.

The court heard the messaging had continued on multiple occasions, including one instance when Barber told the boy not to “make me blush” while she was teaching his class.

Mr Milne said Barber had messaged the boy after school in October 2018 and picked him up in her car before driving to a “private” area where “they proceeded to have sex” in a field.

The court heard the boy had initially lied to the head teacher in January last year about his relationship with Barber following rumours at the school, and that she had allegedly told him she could be pregnant with his child.

“She said he should deny everything and should delete all the messages,” said Mr Milne, adding that the boy had felt “worried and scared”.

In a video interview shown to jurors, the boy said that it had been “awkward” seeing Barber in school following their alleged sexual encounter and that rumours had begun to circulate.

“I began to panic and didn’t know what to do in that situation… I didn’t know what was going on,” he said.

“I told my friends (about the messages). They were shocked as well as they didn’t expect it from a teacher… they didn’t believe it.”

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Referring to the pregnancy, he continued: “She said she didn’t know if it was mine or her husband’s.”

Her husband Daniel had previously told a court the couple were trying for a baby.

The boy said Barber had also called him in tears after learning she had had a miscarriage.

“I didn’t understand. I didn’t know if it was my fault,” he said.

Mr Milne added that Barber told the boy she would “bring him down with her” if he “snitched”, by making an allegation of rape against her.

“They engaged in sexual intercourse at the time he was 15 years of age and she was a teacher and he was a pupil at the school,” said Mr Milne.

“It matters not a jot of difference that he was a he – the law applies equally to men and women. In law he could not give consent to have sexual intercourse.”

The trial continues.