A dark cloud hanging over a former Regina high school teacher was lifted this morning when a court of Queen’s Bench judge declared him not guilty of sexually assaulting a male student 8 years ago.
36 year-old Cory Mathews was a teacher at Scott Collegiate, an inner city school, with a large aboriginal population.
He was known as a teacher that went above and beyond the call of duty for his students.
Mathews says his life has been ruined by the charges.
“My life has been ruined to the point where you can not rebuild it.”
Mathews says he has absolutely no interest in ever teaching again even though it was a profession he loved.
He says his life has been one court date after another for the last four years, now there are no more court dates, but the impact of the charges have left a permanent mark.
“For the last four years, my picture, my name and these charges beside them. I mean we can talk all we want about presumed innocence but there is a stain that is put on you.”
The alleged victim is now 22.
He was one of Mathew’s students at Scott Collegiate in 2006 when he was 15.
He told the trial he had sexual relations with Mathews on four occasions within weeks of one another, including once in Mathew’s truck about a block from the school during the noon hour.
Justice Catherine Dawson described his testimony as weak and inconsistent differing from what he told police and what he testified to at the preliminary hearing.
After Mathews was found not guilty, the alleged victim’ s mother stormed out of the courtroom calling Mathew’s a pedophile who ruined her son’s life.
She repeated the comments outside the court.
“Cory wrecked his life, he started doing drugs, drinking, he is doing ten years in jail right now as we speak.”
Mathew’s lawyer, Barry Nychuk, says there was all kinds of reasonable doubt. He says the case was bolstered by the strength of Mathew’s testimony.,
“It wasn’t close, I think the trial judge hit it bang on. The words she used to describe Mr. Mathews. He was credible, he was consistent, he was candid. His testimony is corroborated by all the other evidence. “
Mathew’s is going to take it easy for a while and says he’s not sure what his future will bring.
“I just need to take some time, breathe, exhale here, after four years and from there, who knows?”
In addition to being found not guilty, court restrictions placed on Mathews, not allowing him to be alone with children will be lifted.