Amy Hood trial for sex crimes involving students hears closing arguments

Crown and defence lawyers at the trial of Carolyn Amy Hood were at odds during closing arguments Friday over whether the former Pictou County teacher is criminally responsible for alleged sex crimes involving teenaged boys.

Hood, 39, of Stellarton, who goes by her middle name Amy, will learn the verdict in Pictou provincial court on April 6.

She was charged in January 2014 with one count of sexual assault, one count of sexual interference, two counts of luring minors over the internet for a sexual purpose and two counts of sexual exploitation of a young person.

Hood was a Grade 6 teacher at Thorburn Consolidated School during the time when the alleged incidents occurred, between June and September 2013.

The incidents allegedly involved two former male students of Hood's, who were 15 at the time.

The court has heard that Hood was exchanging text messages of a sexual nature with the students, with some of the text messages including pictures. Hood also allegedly performed oral sex on a student in her vehicle.

Texting with students

In closing arguments, the Crown said Hood knew what she was doing and called her interactions with the boys an escape from an "unpleasant" domestic situation.

Crown prosecutor Bill Gorman argued the text messages Hood exchanged with the boys offered a window into what she was thinking and showed evidence of planning, deliberation and active deceit. He said she made deliberate attempts to conceal her actions and avoid getting caught.

During the course of the trial, Hood's lawyer, Joel Pink, said the defence admits to evidence in four of the counts: two involving luring, one of sexual exploitation and one of sexual interference.

Three psychiatrists testified for the defence, one for the Crown.

Pink pointed to the testimony of psychiatrists to show that Hood is not criminally responsible for her actions because of a medical condition, bipolar disorder type 1.

Hood's psychiatrists gave evidence that her bipolar disorder compromised her judgment and made her out of control of her actions.

Defence arguing not criminally responsible

Friday morning, Pink said psychiatrists' opinions on Hood are "black and white."

He said people are presumed sane and it's up to the accused to prove otherwise not beyond a reasonable doubt, but on the balance of probabilities.

"The onus is on us to prove that at the time the offence was committed that my client was suffering from a mental disorder and further, at that time, because of the mental disorder, she didn't appreciate the nature and quality of the act, and did not know her act was morally wrong," said Pink.

The Crown said not everyone with a mental disorder can be considered not criminally responsible.

Gorman disputed the defence's argument that Hood was in the midst of a manic episode. He said she continued to function as a wife, mother and teacher.

'Fully understands the nature of her illness'

If Hood's manic state had actually lasted for eight months, she'd be dead, Gorman told the court. He also said she continued to contact one of the boys while seeing a physiatrist, in defiance of a court order.

He said the psychiatrist who assessed Hood for the Crown was very clear.

"He was unequivocal in his opinion, to a high level of medical certainty, that she understood and appreciated the nature and quality of her acts and the consequences of those actions. He was very clear," Gorman said outside the courtroom.

Pinks says when the judge returns with a decision, he plans to argue Hood "fully understands the nature of her illness and she has it under control."

Over the course of the trial the two male students took the stand, along with the mother of one student and Hood's estranged husband. Hood's mother and siblings also testified. Three psychiatrists took the stand for the defence, with a psychiatrist also taking the stand for the Crown.

TheCBC's Blair Rhodes live blogged today's proceedings.