The trial of a former Vernon teacher charged with sex offences involving a student has ended with a mistrial being declared. The jury emerged this afternoon to say the 12 members were unable to reach a unanimous verdict in the case of Deborah Ashton. In court language, that's what's called a 'hung jury.' The issue has been put over until April 11th to fix a date for a new trial. The jury was into its second day of deliberations after hearing 26 witnesses over a nine day trial. The 46 year old Ashton is accused of three charges including sexual assault, and invitation to sexual touching with a person under 14. She's accused of sexual incidents with a boy who was 12, and in her grade 7 class back at a Vernon elementary school in 2002. The charges cover a period from September, 2002, to January 30, 2004, when the accuser was under 14 years old. Crown lawyer Neil Flanagan offered no comment as he was leaving the court house, and Ashton and defence lawyer Jack Harris were not available for comment.
Mistrial Declared In BC Supreme Court Case Against Ex Teacher -Jury fails to reach verdict after two days of deliberations in sex case
Allegations of sexual misconduct still hang over the head of former Vernon teacher Deborah Ashton after Justice James Shabbits declared a mistrial Wednesday at BC Supreme Court. After 12 hours of deliberation over two days, the eight-woman, four-man jury sent a note to the judge saying they could not reach a verdict. The strain showed as one woman juror cried over the failure to find 46-year-old Deborah Ashton guilty or not guilty of sexual assault, sexual touching of a person under the age of 14 and sexual invitation to a person under the age of 14. The case stems from allegations Ashton had a sexual relationship with a male elementary school student between September 2002 and January 2004. Ashton, who has held her nerve through the lengthy trial, sat in the docket for the first time during this trial when the jury was brought before the judge. She placed a hand on her head and then shook it in disbelief as the jurors stood to confirm there was no consensus. Trial lawyers will meet in court again in April although it is not yet certain if that will signal the start of another trial.
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