Teacher who had baby with former pupil 'made attempts to garner sympathy' with baby's bonnet, court told

A teacher accused of having sex with two teenage pupils has ‘made attempts to garner sympathy’ throughout her trials, prosecutors have claimed in their closing speech.

Rebecca Joynes, 30, denies six counts of engaging sexual activity with a child.

Today, May 15, jurors have heard legal directions from presiding judge Kate Cornell, who told them to ‘use common sense and knowledge of the world’, and to ‘put aside their feelings’ when it comes to judging the evidence in the case.

READ MORE: "Every inch of you is perfect": Teacher, 30, tells jury she was 'in love' with ex-pupil who she had baby with as court hears details of intimate letter

The allegations concern two teenage boys - who cannot be named for legal reasons - she met while she was a teacher at a Greater Manchester school.

Jurors previously heard Ms Joynes allegedly groomed one pupil, Boy A, with a Trafford Centre shopping trip, before having sex with him. She denies any sexual activity ever took place.

She then fell pregnant by another teenager, Boy B, the court has heard. Ms Joynes accepted that they met when he was 15 but insisted they did not have sex until it was legal for them to do so.

In a closing speech for the prosecution, barrister Joe Allman reminded the jury of a term used by defence counsel, Michael O’Brien, in his cross examination of Boy B - namely gaslighting. Mr Allman described the term as a ‘combination of manipulation of the facts and maybe playing with people’s feelings’.

He said: “Do you remember when Mr O’Brien rounded off his questions to Ms Joynes [during her evidence] with a series of questions about her baby? Her and Boy B’s baby.

“That caused her to descend into tears whilst she remained standing up with a baby’s bonnet tucked into