A HIGH-RANKING Scouts leader has been accused of a campaign of abuse against a child that included force-feeding her a mix of spicy foods as well as verbal and physical abuse.
Beverley Rose Colley (56) denies two counts of causing harm to a child, two of grave and criminal assault, and one count of assault.
At the opening of her Royal Court trial yesterday, Crown Advocate Mike Preston, prosecuting, described her behaviour as “unacceptable cruelty and violence”.
“She was someone who could not control her temper and took her loss of temper out on [the child],” he said.
The first count of causing harm to a child referred to a “medicine pot” Mrs Colley allegedly kept – made up of hot mustard and hot chili sauce among other ingredients.
Giving evidence in court, the girl said she was forced to eat it as punishment if she spoke out of turn or swore.
Advocate James Bell, defending, said the pot was kept as a threat but Mrs Colley did not force-feed the girl.
The second count of causing harm to a child refers to Mrs Colley allegedly hitting the child.
“She would use a wooden spoon or the flat of a knife or it seems whatever was to hand to make her behave how she wanted her to behave,” Advocate Preston said.
“It seems that it was so frequent that it just became commonplace.”
Mrs Colley is also accusing of one incident where the girl fell asleep and was woken up by the defendant calling her “dirty, disgusting and a slob”, and beating her – making up one of the grave and criminal assault charges.
Durign the second alleged grave and criminal assault, Mrs Colley is said to have taken a plate of food and tried to hit the girl over the head with it. When the girl ducked, Mrs Colley “hit her repeatedly, using slaps and punches”, Advocate Preston said.
The count of assault refers to Mrs Colley allegedly throwing a number of items, including a whiteboard, at the girl and a friend.
Speaking to jurors on Monday, the complainant – now an adult – described how her earliest memories were “being scared of her and being attacked by her”.
She had not raised the alarm because she thought the abuse was normal, she said.
“I was scared of her,” she said. “I didn’t enjoy being around her. I knew that if I was going to be in trouble, I knew she was the one that would come and get me.”
She described Mrs Colley slapping her, and later beating her with a wooden spoon in time with the words “you will never do this again”.
“She would comment on pretty much everything about me,” she said.
Asked about Mrs Colley’s temper, the woman said: “Nought to 1,000. You could sort of tell that she was brewing something and that if you did one thing wrong, she was going to go for you.”
Advocate Bell said: “I suggest to you that none of this happened, that you have exaggerated and that these are mild forms of discipline.”
The girl said: “I disagree 100%.”
Mrs Colley, Advocate Bell said, had a “bad shoulder” and had had six surgeries – so she wouldn’t have been able to throw objects.
The girl replied: “I actually think she has a bad shoulder from what she has done to us.”
Mrs Colley’s ex-husband gave evidence on Monday afternoon, describing her as “quick-tempered and fierce”, and how her tone towards children was sometimes “blood-curdling”.
Iain Ford, who knew Mrs Colley when he was the most senior Scouts leader in Jersey, said that she had most recently been Deputy Island Commissioner and was primed to become Island Commissioner – the most senior Scouts role in the Island. This was currently on hold, he said.
The jury trial is expected to last five days.
The Deputy Bailiff, Mark Temple, is presiding.
