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| Halifax teaching assistant guilty of cruelty towards girl, 7 | Halifax teaching assistant guilty of cruelty towards girl, 7 |
| (4 months later) | |
| A teaching assistant has been found guilty of bullying a seven-year-old girl who was taped to a chair at school in Calderdale, West Yorkshire. | A teaching assistant has been found guilty of bullying a seven-year-old girl who was taped to a chair at school in Calderdale, West Yorkshire. |
| Rachael Regan, 43, of Cousin Lane, Illingworth, denied a charge of cruelty, but was found guilty after a trial at Bradford Crown Court. | Rachael Regan, 43, of Cousin Lane, Illingworth, denied a charge of cruelty, but was found guilty after a trial at Bradford Crown Court. |
| Teacher Deborah McDonald, of Birks Hall Terrace, Halifax, was found not guilty. | Teacher Deborah McDonald, of Birks Hall Terrace, Halifax, was found not guilty. |
| Judge Neil Davey QC told Regan she would not go to prison when she was sentenced on 8 January. | Judge Neil Davey QC told Regan she would not go to prison when she was sentenced on 8 January. |
| Jurors heard how the pupil was also shut in a storeroom, during a five-month bullying campaign. | Jurors heard how the pupil was also shut in a storeroom, during a five-month bullying campaign. |
| The catalogue of incidents against the youngster, who is now nine, also included putting sticky notes on her thumbs and tying her shoes on with string. | The catalogue of incidents against the youngster, who is now nine, also included putting sticky notes on her thumbs and tying her shoes on with string. |
| In her evidence, Regan told the court it had been a "bit of fun" and the girl had not seemed upset by her actions. | In her evidence, Regan told the court it had been a "bit of fun" and the girl had not seemed upset by her actions. |
| A jury of four men and eight women took less than four hours to find her guilty. | A jury of four men and eight women took less than four hours to find her guilty. |
| Judge Davey said delays in bringing the case to court had convinced him custody was not appropriate. | Judge Davey said delays in bringing the case to court had convinced him custody was not appropriate. |
| West Yorkshire Police said the conviction should send a "loud and clear message" that such behaviour was "unacceptable". | West Yorkshire Police said the conviction should send a "loud and clear message" that such behaviour was "unacceptable". |
| Det Ch Insp Darren Minton said: "This person was employed in a position of trust and she broke that trust with her actions. This investigation and successful conviction demonstrates how seriously we take such allegations." | Det Ch Insp Darren Minton said: "This person was employed in a position of trust and she broke that trust with her actions. This investigation and successful conviction demonstrates how seriously we take such allegations." |