A mother testified in court that she discovered photobooth pictures of her son with the chemistry teacher accused of abusing him, and that she had previously seen them walking together. Sally-Anne Bowen, 65, faces accusations of preying on two boys at Christ's College in Finchley, north London, when they were 14 and 15 in the late 1980s.
According to the mother of one of the alleged victims, her son's behavior changed around the age of 14, becoming rude and arrogant, and he began staying out late. In 1988, a teacher at the school requested a meeting to discuss the boy's conduct. The mother also wrote to the family's GP, expressing concern about the female teacher's influence on her son.
"She was seen walking down the road with my son," the mother told Harrow Crown Court when asked how she learned of the relationship. She further stated that after sending her son away for two weeks, Bowen repeatedly contacted him by phone. Upon his return, the boy's behavior had not improved, as Bowen had maintained constant contact.
After searching her son's belongings, the mother found Bowen's name and phone number. When she called and spoke to Bowen, she accused her of having an affair with her son and demanded it stop. Bowen denied the affair, and the mother threatened to go to the police. The mother also contacted the school, but reported that no action was taken.
The mother described finding photobooth pictures of Bowen and her son, stating that tearing them up was "the worst thing I did." She recalled the pictures as "little black and white" images with their heads together, which she considered evidence and was angry about years later. Bowen's barrister, Mark Kimsey, disputed the mother's account of the phone call and the existence of the photobooth pictures, which the mother refuted, asserting she swore an oath on the Bible and told the truth.
Earlier testimony came from one of the boys' ex-wives, who stated that her ex-husband had confided in her about his relationship with Bowen during the early stages of their 20-year marriage in the 2000s. She recounted him bragging about his sexual prowess and claiming Bowen taught him everything he knew. The ex-wife also shared that her ex-husband had described Bowen pointing to a naked woman in a pornographic magazine and telling him that was what her own vagina looked like, a detail she found shocking.
According to the ex-wife, her ex-husband also spoke of seeing Bowen on the bus, walking her home on a few occasions, and being allowed into her flat. He reportedly detailed having sex with Bowen in a house and on the London Underground, including instances of fellatio on the train, describing their encounters as involving sex, cups of tea, and cigarettes after school.
When questioned by Mr. Kimsey about details not included in her 2014 police statement, the ex-wife explained that the information emerged over two decades through a progression of memories and conversations. She denied speaking to her ex-husband about his witness evidence, stating they were told not to discuss it. When asked why she hadn't mentioned her ex-husband lifting Bowen's skirt and her having "no boundaries," the woman responded, "You didn't ask."
Jurors were informed that the boy's relationship with Bowen ended when she told him she was leaving the UK for a kibbutz in Israel, which left him feeling abandoned and confused. He first reported Bowen to the police in November 2014, encouraged by his partner. Bowen was interviewed the following year and described the boy as a "nuisance" and "besotted" with her, dismissing claims of a sexual relationship as "pure fantasy."
In 2022, a Teaching Regulation Authority hearing prompted a second boy to come forward with allegations. He claimed Bowen allowed him to touch her breasts and kissed him during lunch at a cafe near the school, and that he placed his hand near her crotch without her reacting negatively. Bowen denies eight counts of indecent assault.