City teacher guilty of pupil assault and sex comments

A SCIENCE teacher at a high school in the Capital has been found guilty of assaulting a 13-year old boy and making sexual comments to a 13-year old girl.

Gavin Atkinson was found guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Picture: Ian Georgeson

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that Gavin Atkinson, 58, of Crocketford in Dumfries, repeatedly pushed the boy on the body and pressed his body against a doorway with his knee to his injury.

He told the girl he could see her underpants.

The teacher had denied the charges, which occurred between August 1 and December 24, 2013.

On the third day of his trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today, the prosecution dropped a charge accusing Atkinson of directing verbal and written sexual communications to an adult learner pupil at the school.

And he was found not guilty of making comments of a sexual nature to the 13-year old boy.

Sentence was deferred on Atkinson until May 27 for the preparation of a social work report, and he was ordered to register as a sex offender.