A teacher told a Fife schoolgirl her curly hair turned him on because he was a fan of Harry Potter heroine Hermione Granger, a court has heard.
Dean Bromage claimed he was joking around with the girl when he made the “stupid” comments.
The 33-year-old, who is on trial for allegedly engaging in sexual activity with three pupils, also claimed he did not know what the phrase “gagging for it” meant, believing it meant someone who strutted around with confidence.
Giving evidence in his own defence at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, Bromage claimed he liked curly hair but was not sexually attracted to it.
‘Not sexually excited by curly hair’
He described liking the character of Hermione Granger, who in the JK Rowling-penned Harry Potter series is described as having “bushy” hair.
After stating he had only liked curly hair for a short time, he was asked by fiscal depute Ronnie Hay when he stopped getting turned on by curly hair.
Bromage replied: “I was never properly turned on by curly hair.”
He said: “I always liked Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. I liked her and I liked curly hair.
“Hermione Granger did not turn me on.
“I did not get sexually excited by curly hair. I really like curly hair, it’s nice to look at.”
Bromage also told the court he didn’t “fully understand” the meaning of the phrase “gagging for it” when he used it in relation to a female pupil with a boyfriend.
He said: “I get phrases in my head. I stupidly thought it was someone strutting around.”
The music teacher admitted frequently hugging pupils, but said it was to comfort or congratulate them.
“Some pupils get hugged at the end of an exam,” he said. “I’m a very huggy person. I try not to do things like that now, but it was part of the praise.
“I used to think it was a good thing about me, but recently I realised it’s maybe not.”
Touching was ‘not deliberate’
Two of Bromage’s alleged victims claimed he had touched their bottoms.
Bromage said he was unable to say whether or not he had, but if he had it had not been deliberate.
He said he had helped one girl adjust her hoodie, which was printed with the names of that year’s school leavers.
He said: “They had just received their hoodies. Because they had thrown them on over their other clothing it was all up at the back.
“The last thing I wanted to do was take a bad photo when they had asked me to take one.
“I pulled it down so I could read it.”
Breaking down
Bromage broke down in tears in the dock after describing how he comforted his second alleged victim after a pupil had been hurt within the school.
He said: “I think I said ‘just come here, everything’s going to be OK’. I gave her a hug.
“I thought I was going to get upset so I held her a bit longer than I should have.”
But he denied a suggestion from Mr Hay that he had derived any sexual gratification from any of the encounters.
The allegations
Bromage, of Fotheringham Drive, Monifieth, is alleged to have engaged in sexual activity while in a position of trust with three pupils at the school over a three year period between August 2012 and August 2015. He denies all charges.
It is alleged that he made sexual comments to and repeatedly cuddled all three women, while also touching the bottoms of two of them over their clothing.
The jury in the case has now retired to deliberate.
