Teh One Who Knocks
10-08-2014, 01:27 PM
Mark Russell - Court Reporter for The Age
http://i.imgur.com/Z59CuOY.jpg
Convinced she was in love with her 10-year-old student, primary school teacher and mother of eight Diane Brimble had his name and the infinity symbol tattooed on her chest, a court has heard.
The boy's mother told the County Court on Monday that Brimble had "hurt him in his heart" after Brimble had groomed him.
The mother said while her daughters would draw rainbows and unicorns, he drew black pictures of knives and death. She felt sickened as a mother that Brimble's offending was "under the guise of motherly love".
"The commemorative tattoo etched into her body of my child's name in the symbol of infinity coupled with her belief in spells and spirits makes me convinced that she truly believes she is meant to be united in dreams for eternity," the boy's mother said in a victim impact statement read to the court.
The boy's father said his son believed "this horrible woman" had cast a spell on him which meant anything he heard or saw she could hear and see too, which was why he refused to look at his parents or talk about what Brimble had done.
Brimble, 47, of Hamilton, appeared in the County Court on Monday for a pre-sentence hearing after a jury sitting in Warrnambool found her guilty of one count of committing an indecent act with a child under 16 between January 1 and April 19, 2013.
Judge Mark Taft said Brimble had hugged the boy at her house and asked him if he wanted to sleep with her. The boy asked her what she meant and she said, "sex." The boy pushed Brimble's hands away as she kissed him on the cheek and told him she loved him.
He told his teacher he was not old enough to have sex but Brimble told him, "You are when you are at my house."
"It is an unusual case. I find Ms Brimble's conduct as bizarre as any I have ever seen in a courtroom," Judge Taft said.
The boy's mother said she was proud of her son for rejecting Brimble's sexual advances.
"He knew right from wrong," she said before warning other parents not to be naive and trust anyone "with your beautiful children".
Brimble's predatory actions when trying to turn her little boy into a sexual commodity had had a profound effect on him and his family, the mother said.
She was now worried the boy, who has had to repeat a year at school, might blame her for not protecting him from Brimble.
"I have failed as a mother because I did not keep him safe," she said.
The mother said the family had moved out of the community but still did a double-take if they saw anyone with bleached blonde hair similar to Brimble's.
She was repulsed at how Brimble had used "guile and artifice" to make her son doubt that his parents loved him so she could offer him solace and fun.
Brimble had set out to exploit her little boy and stole part of his innocence.
The boy's father said he lived day by day trying to protect him now. "I feel sick every time I think of my son's name tattooed on her body," he said in his victim impact statement read to the court.
"Who knows what scars he will carry with him forever." Judge Taft was critical of a psychological report tendered by Brimble's defence barrister which claimed Brimble had only been trying to support the boy through difficult and challenging times and had been naive not to realise the child could have misinterpreted her kindness.
The judge said the psychological report failed to explain Brimble's reasons for her offending.
"I remain entirely baffled by Ms Brimble's psycho-sexual profile and her motivation," he said. Judge Taft said Brimble's conduct was bizarre and he agreed with the boy's description that his teacher had been acting "weird".
Brimble will be sentenced on Thursday.
http://i.imgur.com/Z59CuOY.jpg
Convinced she was in love with her 10-year-old student, primary school teacher and mother of eight Diane Brimble had his name and the infinity symbol tattooed on her chest, a court has heard.
The boy's mother told the County Court on Monday that Brimble had "hurt him in his heart" after Brimble had groomed him.
The mother said while her daughters would draw rainbows and unicorns, he drew black pictures of knives and death. She felt sickened as a mother that Brimble's offending was "under the guise of motherly love".
"The commemorative tattoo etched into her body of my child's name in the symbol of infinity coupled with her belief in spells and spirits makes me convinced that she truly believes she is meant to be united in dreams for eternity," the boy's mother said in a victim impact statement read to the court.
The boy's father said his son believed "this horrible woman" had cast a spell on him which meant anything he heard or saw she could hear and see too, which was why he refused to look at his parents or talk about what Brimble had done.
Brimble, 47, of Hamilton, appeared in the County Court on Monday for a pre-sentence hearing after a jury sitting in Warrnambool found her guilty of one count of committing an indecent act with a child under 16 between January 1 and April 19, 2013.
Judge Mark Taft said Brimble had hugged the boy at her house and asked him if he wanted to sleep with her. The boy asked her what she meant and she said, "sex." The boy pushed Brimble's hands away as she kissed him on the cheek and told him she loved him.
He told his teacher he was not old enough to have sex but Brimble told him, "You are when you are at my house."
"It is an unusual case. I find Ms Brimble's conduct as bizarre as any I have ever seen in a courtroom," Judge Taft said.
The boy's mother said she was proud of her son for rejecting Brimble's sexual advances.
"He knew right from wrong," she said before warning other parents not to be naive and trust anyone "with your beautiful children".
Brimble's predatory actions when trying to turn her little boy into a sexual commodity had had a profound effect on him and his family, the mother said.
She was now worried the boy, who has had to repeat a year at school, might blame her for not protecting him from Brimble.
"I have failed as a mother because I did not keep him safe," she said.
The mother said the family had moved out of the community but still did a double-take if they saw anyone with bleached blonde hair similar to Brimble's.
She was repulsed at how Brimble had used "guile and artifice" to make her son doubt that his parents loved him so she could offer him solace and fun.
Brimble had set out to exploit her little boy and stole part of his innocence.
The boy's father said he lived day by day trying to protect him now. "I feel sick every time I think of my son's name tattooed on her body," he said in his victim impact statement read to the court.
"Who knows what scars he will carry with him forever." Judge Taft was critical of a psychological report tendered by Brimble's defence barrister which claimed Brimble had only been trying to support the boy through difficult and challenging times and had been naive not to realise the child could have misinterpreted her kindness.
The judge said the psychological report failed to explain Brimble's reasons for her offending.
"I remain entirely baffled by Ms Brimble's psycho-sexual profile and her motivation," he said. Judge Taft said Brimble's conduct was bizarre and he agreed with the boy's description that his teacher had been acting "weird".
Brimble will be sentenced on Thursday.