Newport Magistrates Court (credit Jaggery/creative commons)
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A driving instructor has been banned for swearing while giving lessons to three teenage girls.
Michael Poole, 48, repeatedly swore using "crude and lewd" language while the girls, aged 17 and 18, were at the wheel of his car.
The learners told Gwent police how former soldier Poole repeatedly used the "F-word" while giving lessons with his Ddraig Goch School of Motoring in Pontypool.
Poole has now been struck off the official driving instructors register after being convicted of using "abusive, threatening and insulting language."
Victim Lauren Baddeley, 18, told how Poole was "crude from the offset" of her £25-an-hour lessons.
Lauren said: "It made me feel uncomfortable when he was talking about himself but I tried to brush that off.
"You get used to it but it progressively got worse towards the end and struck me that really this wasn't right."
Student Lauren, of Cwmbran, Gwent, went to police - and officers also spoke to two other learners, aged 18 and 17, about his stream of foul language.
Poole, of Pontypool, Gwent, was charged with three counts of usin threatening, abusive, insulting words, or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress after incidents.
Poole - who ran Ddraig Goch School of Motoring - denied the allegations but was found guilty after trial at Newport Crown Court. He was jailed for 18 weeks.
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He has now been struck off the approved list of driving instructors by the DVSA.
Th mother of one of the girls praised her daughter for raising the alarm. She refused to repeat the foul language but was "very relieved" at his punishment.
She said: "I was absolutely mortified at what that man was saying to young girls he was teaching.
"My daughter was 17-years-old - they weren't adults.
"To hear those type of comments coming from a teacher, someone who you look up to, it made her feel sick."
According to the Ddraig Goch School of Motoring website, Poole had been a driving instructor since retiring from the army in June 2012 after 24 years of service.
DVSA registrar Mark Magee said: "We take the safety of learner drivers very seriously and our thoughts are with the victims of Mr Poole's criminal behaviour.
"We are committed to protecting learner drivers and will thoroughly investigate complaints, involving the police where necessary.
"All driving instructors are subject to criminal record checks, and if convicted of an offence, can be removed from DVSA's register."
Read more at http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/driving-instructor-banned-after-swearing-during-lessons-with-teenage-girls/story-29884696-detail/story.html#XgD7hdE3c4GR0iKk.99
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