Teacher jailed for sex with pupil

A teacher has been jailed for 16 months after admitting having an affair with a 14-year-old pupil.

Michael Hardy, 47, a religious education teacher at a comprehensive school in Hull, started the affair after a trip to a theme park.

At a previous hearing at Hull Crown Court, Hardy admitted five counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 16.

On Thursday he was jailed and put on the sex offender register for 10 years.

Doncaster Crown Court also banned Hardy from making any contact with the victim for five years.

Child protection register

Sentencing Hardy, who has been a teacher for 23 years, Judge Leslie Hull said: "The evidence of the case indicates that she was a girl who had problems.

"She was unhappy at home due to difficulties between her parents and she was on the child protection register and because of that she was vulnerable."

He added: "The inescapable fact is that against that background you, as her teacher, took advantage of her."

Hardy, formerly of Hull, but now of Albemarle Crescent, Scarborough, arrived at the court with his wife.

After the case, a spokeswoman for the education authority in Hull said: "It is totally unacceptable for a teacher to have a relationship with a pupil and the custodial sentence passed down by the court sends out a clear message to those who abuse their position of trust."