A jury has heard that a teacher, Rebecca Joynes, 30, told a pupil, “no one better find out,” before engaging in sexual activity with him at her flat. She is currently on trial, facing six counts of having sexual activity with a child, allegations she denies. The charges relate to two teenage boys she met while teaching at a school in Greater Manchester.
During the trial at Manchester Crown Court, it was revealed that Ms. Joynes allegedly groomed one pupil by taking him on a shopping trip to the Trafford Centre before having sex with him, and she later became pregnant by another pupil.
On Wednesday, jurors were shown video footage of an interview conducted by police with one of the boys, referred to as Boy A. In the interview, he recounted that after Ms. Joynes picked him up, she drove him to the Trafford Centre and took him to Selfridges. Boy A expressed confusion about the trip, asking her, “Why are we actually here because I’m not going to get anything? I hope you’re looking for yourself.” He alleged that Ms. Joynes responded, “We came here for you,” before purchasing a £350 Gucci belt for him. He remarked, “I remember saying I don’t know why you have done that. It’s a lot of money, really.”
After their shopping trip, Boy A said she drove him to her flat in Salford Quays. He admitted feeling “a bit weird” as they climbed the stairs but ultimately took a seat on the couch, where Ms. Joynes later joined him. They proceeded to her bedroom, where they kissed, undressed, and had sex. Boy A claimed that Ms. Joynes repeatedly insisted, “no one better find out.” However, he noted that he did not ejaculate during the encounter, stating, “At the time, I thought to myself this is just weird so I didn’t finish. It was just crazy.” Afterward, he showered and lay next to Ms. Joynes in bed for a couple of hours.
Later that evening, Boy A suggested they have sex again, and Ms. Joynes responded, “I don’t mind, whatever you want.” They then had intercourse for a second time without protection. After ejaculating, Boy A expressed concern about her becoming pregnant, to which she allegedly replied that she “doesn’t even know if she can.” He stayed the night at her flat and was picked up the following day by a friend’s mother.
Before dropping him off at home, the friend’s mother warned him, “I’m not going to tell your mum this time, but don’t do anything this stupid again,” unaware that the other party involved was a teacher. Later that day, Boy A messaged Ms. Joynes on Snapchat about his worries that his mother might find out, to which she replied, “She better not find out that it was me.” Boy A reassured her that this wouldn’t happen, but mentioned he wouldn’t stay over again due to the risk involved, to which Ms. Joynes reportedly replied, “that’s fine with me.”
Earlier that day, the trial included a video of Boy A’s police interview, during which he mentioned that Ms. Joynes had provided him with 10 of the 11 digits of her phone number, and he figured out the missing digit to contact her. They quickly began exchanging messages on Snapchat, leading to an arranged pick-up by Ms. Joynes in her white Audi A1 after school on a Friday.
In recounting their interaction during the drive, Boy A said Ms. Joynes made a comment about driving, to which he responded, “I wouldn’t know because I’m not old enough.” She allegedly laughed and told him, “Oh shut up” and “Stop saying that.”
Rebecca Joynes, of Pensby Road, Wirral, denies two counts of sexual activity with Boy A, two counts with Boy B, and two counts of sexual activity with Boy B while in a position of trust. The trial is ongoing.
