Amy Hood decision details what led to teacher luring boys

A judge's decision to convict former Nova Scotia school teacher Amy Hood of sex offences involving teenage boys examines the woman's slide into mental illness and theories of whether she was criminally responsible for the crimes.

Provincial court Judge Del Atwood found Hood, 39, guilty earlier this week of sexual assault, sexual interference and luring involving two former students. The offences happened in the summer of 2013 when Hood was a Grade 6 teacher at Thorburn Consolidated School in Pictou County.

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Subsequent to the encounters, Hood was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and her lawyer argued she should be found not criminally responsible due to mental illness.

At her trial, coworkers and family members testified they noticed changes in Hood's behaviour in the spring of 2013. The previously quiet and well-liked teacher became much more talkative and was often texting on her phone.

Hood`s sister, Laura Hines, noted changes in Hood's appearance. 

"She observed her sister wearing tighter and more youthful clothes," Atwood said in his written decision that outlined why he convicted Hood. "Ms. Hood began dying her hair an extreme bleached-blonde colour, and was applying more makeup than usual."

'I felt like I was 18'

Defence lawyer Joel Pink introduced evidence at trial that Hood may have thought she was the same age as her victims.

One psychiatrist who testified for the defence said Hood told him: "It baffled me; I never looked at the person that way before. I felt like I was 18. I didn't feel like a mother with three children. I felt I was the same age."

Hood did not testify at her trial, as was her right. But the judge questioned whether her testimony could have clarified things.

"And so it seems to me that Ms. Hood would be the one best placed to offer evidence of what was going on in her head," he wrote. "Instead, we heard second-hand what she told others."

On the other hand, Atwood wrote, Hood's behaviour might have worked against her.

"In choosing not to testify, Ms. Hood has chosen not to account for her deceptive self-reporting."

Started with texts

One of Hood's victims was 17 at the time of the offences; the other was 15. She had taught both of them when they were in Grade 6 but they were no longer her students.

Court heard how Hood began exchanging text messages with the boys that were friendly at first, but quickly progressed to sexually explicit, including provocative pictures she sent of herself. She also engaged in oral sex with one of the boys.

Four psychiatrists testified at the trial; three for the defence and one for the Crown. The doctors tried to explain Hood's behaviour and her mental condition.

"Bipolar I Disorder tends to have its onset in the third or fourth decade of life," defence psychiatrist Lisa Ramshaw wrote in a report prepared for the court.

'It is a lifelong illness'

"Once present, it is a lifelong illness. It is characterized by episodes of mania and episodes of depression."

Ramshaw's report also dealt with the fact Hood instructed her two victims to delete the text messages she sent.

"Instructing the boys not to tell others and to delete the messages, stating that her husband would think it was wrong, and covering up her behavior, indicates that she knew what she was doing was not approved of by others," Ramshaw wrote.

"It does not, however, imply directly that she knew it was legally wrong, or that she believed that her behavior with the boys was morally wrong at the time."

Husband's testimony

Hood's husband, David, also played a key part in the trial. He claimed she was not completely honest with him as school officials became aware of the allegations against her.

He said she initially told him after she was suspended from her teaching job that the allegations were only rumours and that they were untrue.

"Mr. Hood acknowledged on cross-examination that he had called his ex-wife a 'pedophile' on more than one occasion and had recently told her that she would be going to jail, so that he would end up with custody of their children," Atwood said.

The Hoods are now separated.

Back in court July 26

As the allegations against Hood mounted and her behaviour became more erratic, her family and doctor intervened. Hood was briefly admitted to hospital for treatment in December 2013.

Family members testified that once the bipolar diagnosis was made and she was prescribed lithium and Seroquel, her condition seemed to stabilize.

She appeared very subdued during her court appearances, showing no emotion even after her lawyer told her Atwood had found her guilty.

The judge said he was not satisfied by the defence psychiatrists' theories that Hood was in a manic state at the time of her encounters with the boys and couldn't recognize that her behaviour was wrong.

The defence has requested that a pre-sentence report and risk assessment be done on Hood before she is sentenced.

She will return to court July 26. The Crown has indicated it will be seeking time behind bars for Hood. Her lawyer argues she has already suffered a great deal, including giving up her certificate to teach.