Mr. and Mrs. Byrd were joint principals of the school and directors of Cholderton College, Ltd., at the time of the offences for which Mr. Byrd was gaoled. Both have since resigned, and Mr. Byrd has appealed against conviction.
Mr. Hoare said that extracts from the trial transcript showed that Mrs. Byrd knew “at least something” about the offences when they were committed. She had taken the entire junior school, including three girls, to see a punishment the judge had described as “sadistic”. A boy was ducked in the school swimming pool and made to run through brambles and nettles.