A FORMER Newport teacher was struck off yesterday after she admitted having a sexual relationship with a female student in the late 1980s.

Judith Anne Evans, a former teacher at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic High School, was banned from teaching at a General Teaching Council for Wales hearing after admitting to the relationship with the pupil, referred to as Pupil B.

The hearing, at Cardiff’s The Parc Hotel, heard the relationship took place in 1988 but only came to light following an allegation that Mrs Evans, who taught at the school until 2008, had another sexual relationship with another female pupil, Pupil A, at the school in 1982.

Although Mrs Evans, who was not at the hearing, admitted the relationship with Pupil B, she denied she behaved inappropriately by having this sexual relationship, or that she had compromised her position of trust and authority.

But the panel found the facts for these allegations proven and Mrs Evans was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct, which she had denied.

The panel heard Mrs Evans, a sports teacher, had taken Pupil B to classes at Penarth Hockey Club.

In a statement, Mrs Evans, who now lives in Spain, said the pupil pestered her and the relationship happened after the student finished her A-levels but was still a pupil.

“The annoying thing is that passion is not something you can control sometimes,” she said. The panel heard Mrs Evans had three sexual encounters with Pupil B while she was at the school.

Evans was dismissed from the school in June 2009. No police action was taken.

Representing Evans, Damian Phillips said the relationship with Pupil B had not occurred in school or because of school.

An allegation that Evans had had a sexual relationship with Pupil A while she was a pupil at the school was found not to be proven by the panel.

Evans admitted to a three-year relationship with Pupil A but said it was after she had left school.