Latest news with #PencoedtreComprehensive
BBC News
14-05-2025
- BBC News
Barry teacher cleared of sex abuse is to face no further charges
A teacher cleared of having a sexual relationship with a teenager has been told he will not face prosecution on two other Coombs, 54, from Barry, was a drama teacher at Pencoedtre Comprehensive and was involved in local theatre denied seven charges of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of a trial at Cardiff Crown Court last week he was found not guilty on five of the charges - but remained in custody after jurors could not reach a verdict on two other charges. Mr Coombs' defence argued the allegations against him were nothing more than malicious rumours and that he had never admitted to sleeping with the trial heard the defendant was involved with theatre groups for 30 years and had been a teacher for 20 years without having a complaint made against Crown Prosecution Service told Newport Crown Court on Wednesday it would not seek a retrial on the remaining Eugene Egan formally found Mr Coombs not guilty of the remaining charges and he was released from custody.
BBC News
09-05-2025
- BBC News
Barry teacher found not guilty of sexual relationship with teen
A teacher has been found not guilty of five counts of having a sexual relationship with a teenager. Jonathon Coombs, 54, from Barry, was a drama teacher at Pencoedtre Comprehensive and was involved in local theatre court was told Mr Coombs had become a confidant to the teenager who was unsure of his sexuality but had groomed and taken advantage of denied seven counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of nearly 12 hours of deliberation, a jury at Cardiff Crown Court returned a verdict of not guilty on five counts but could not agree on two remaining counts and were discharged. The court previously heard that when questioned by police the teenager had denied anything had happened only to change his mind five months prosecution had argued the delay was a result of him being embarrassed and scared to admit anything had happened between Coombs' defence had argued the allegations against him were nothing more than malicious rumours and that he had never admitted to sleeping with the trial heard the defendant had been involved with theatre groups for 30 years and had been a teacher for 20 years without having a complaint made against judge thanked the jury for their hard work and said cases such as this, where they had to consider the word of one person against another, were the most prosecution are now considering asking for a retrial on the remaining counts.A hearing has been set for 16 May. Mr Coombs was remanded in custody.
South Wales Argus
30-04-2025
- South Wales Argus
Barry teacher ‘had sexual relationship with teenage boy'
Jonathan Coombs, 54, allegedly told the youngster he was his "gay guru" – taking him to gay bars and getting him drunk. A jury was told that when the teenager tried to break off their fling, the defendant allegedly threatened suicide – leaving the boy "trapped". Coombs, who was also director of an amateur dramatics group, met his alleged victim after watching him perform at a show in Cardiff. Prosecutor Roger Griffiths said that after going to a gay bar together and the complainant getting "drunk", Coombs then took him back to his house and attempted to have sex with him. He added that Coombs, a teacher at Pencoedtre Comprehensive in Barry boasted about the relationship. The defendant allegedly said: "I could lose my job or everything because of this but I don't care, we slept together.' After their alleged relationship was discovered, Coombs instructed the boy to delete all the messages between them on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp. He was also said to have told him: "If I get into trouble, you could get in trouble and it will ruin our lives." Cardiff Crown Court heard Coombs would buy tickets to see shows together and they would go together and they performed sex acts on each other in side streets or in the car. In his interview with police, the boy said: "He said If anyone did find out we'd both be in trouble and when I tried to end it he said, I never wanted to fall in love with you, I didn't mean for it to happen." Coombs, of Barry, denies seven counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust. The trial continues.
