Eve Ritchie-Fallon has never been seen assaulting a child, says witness in slapping trial

Carole Frampton said in the six years she had worked at the Forest Education Centre in Dibden Purlieu, Ritchie-Fallon had been kicked by one pupil and punched by another, but she had never assaulted anyone.

She was giving evidence in the trial of the 57-yearold, who is accused of slapping a teenager in the face when he refused to put out a cigarette near the school gate.

Ms Frampton was in the staff room when Ritchie-Fallon became aware of pupils smoking near the main gates.

“She left straight away to go and deal with it,” she said.

Afterwards, Ms Frampton saw the alleged victim, who suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and described him as “angry, agitated and wound up”.

The unit’s admin officer, Yvonne Sturney, told Southampton Magistrates’ Court how, shortly after the alleged incident, she spoke to Ritchie-Fallon and said children were saying she had hit the teenager.

“She [Ritchie-Fallon] replied ‘Well, yes, I suppose I did’ and then she went to show the action she made to remove the cigarette out of the mouth,” she said.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed in a police interview how Ritchie-Fallon shouted at him to put his cigarette out. He said: “I went to take one more drag and then my head teacher ripped off my pink earmuffs.”

He then admitted swearing at her and, when he asked for them back, she refused. “I was still smoking the fag and I was having a go at her for taking my earmuffs. She slapped me. The fag went flying out.

“I squared up to her and started swearing and then she said ‘I did not slap you, I was trying to get the fag’.”

During cross-examination, Mark Elliott, defending, suggested that when Ritchie-Fallon knocked his cigarette it was from his hand, to which he replied “Yes”. When Mr Elliott suggested the boy’s hand was by his waist the teenager replied “No, it was up at my face.”

Mr Elliott accused the teenager of making the allegation up. He said: “You don't like Eve, because she is strict. You were worrying about permanently being excluded and that is why you have made this story up – the story that you had been hit in the face.” He denied making it up.

The teenager, who had previously suffered a broken jaw, said the alleged assault caused his face to throb and he attended hospital three days later to have it checked and was given the all-clear.

Ritchie-Fallon, 57, of Long Close, Pennington, denies one charge of assault by beating.

The Forest Education Centre teaches children aged between 11 and 16 who have been referred because of behavioural difficulties.

The Daily Echo is able to name it today after magistrates altered the terms of a court order.

The case was adjourned until next Tuesday.

Proceeding