A special needs carer has denied she "clocked" a nine-year-old schoolgirl after the girl hit her in the face with a book.
Betty Johnson, who had worked on a one-to-one basis with special needs pupil Leah Walsh, of Meadowlands Mews, Monkstown, Co Dublin, told Mr Justice Esmond Smyth in the Circuit Civil Court yesterday that her hand "accidentally and involuntarily collided with Leah's left cheek".
The court heard the incident occurred in Holy Family national school, Dunedin, Monkstown Farm, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, in May 2003.
After Leah had struck her with the book she had taken Leah by both hands and, in a bid to let her know she had done wrong, had attempted to gain eye contact with her.
She said Leah had a tendency to be aggressive and had pulled one of her hands away. In trying to catch her hand she had accidentally made contact with Leah's cheek. "I did not deliberately hit or hurt Leah," Ms Johnson said.
She added that Leah's mother, Susan Stephenson, had been telephoned and called to the school following the incident because all the children had been saying she had hit Leah across the face and she had wanted the matter cleared up.
Ms Johnson denied in cross-examination by Conor Bowman, counsel for Leah, that she had "clocked" Leah.
Leah in evidence said Ms Johnson had hit her in the face. She had first hit Ms Johnson in the face with the book.
Ms Stephenson said when she arrived at the school Ms Johnson had been upset and had hugged her. Ms Johnson had apologised for hitting Leah. When she had seen Leah her left cheek was red and it was obvious she had been crying.
Leah, through her mother, is suing the school management board for assault.
The hearing continues.