Darroch Robinson has entered a plea of not guilty in the Northern Territory Supreme Court to a charge of causing serious harm, stemming from an incident at Darwin Middle School where a girl suffered broken front teeth.

Prosecutors allege that the former teacher intentionally hit the student in the face, which caused her to fall. In contrast, the defense claims that the incident was an unfortunate accident that occurred in a bustling classroom environment.

The trial is set to resume in Darwin on Tuesday.

During the proceedings, it was reported that Robinson, a former teacher in Darwin, was accused of striking a female student after she requested the return of her phone and called him “dumb.” The defense maintains that the action was accidental and that Robinson expresses remorse for the situation.

In his opening remarks on Monday, Crown prosecutor Brandon Bodel informed the jury that the strike was intentional and executed out of “anger” amid a dispute over the confiscated phone. He described the student as “physically small” and noted that she had been using her phone in class before it was taken away by Robinson.

According to Bodel, the student left the classroom with a friend after the incident and was subsequently sent home by the principal. Upon returning to retrieve her phone, the girl asked for it back, and when Robinson denied her request, she questioned, “Are you dumb?”

Bodel asserted that the student would testify that Robinson “swung his forearm or elbow” at her, striking her mouth and causing her to collide with a table and fall to the ground, resulting in her front teeth being fractured.

He added that the girl expressed her distress by telling Robinson, “you’ve ruined my life,” to which he allegedly replied, “I don’t care.”

The court was informed that the student’s injury was caused directly by the blow, rather than by hitting the table itself. Nevertheless, Bodel contended that the injury stemmed from the teacher’s “deliberate action.”

Bodel also mentioned that two other students who witnessed the incident would provide testimony, both corroborating that Robinson struck the girl during the confrontation. One witness reportedly stated that he saw Robinson turn around and hit her but did not observe her hitting her head on the table.

Defense attorney Peter Maley argued that Robinson did not intend to harm the girl and characterized the event as a classroom accident. He explained that Robinson was managing a chaotic environment with students misbehaving, and the girl was positioned behind him when she made her insulting remark.

Maley stated, “He turns round, really quickly and has impacted his elbow or forearm with the child,” leading to the girl stumbling, hitting the desk, and chipping her teeth. He emphasized that for the Crown to secure a conviction, it must establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Robinson intended both the strike and the resulting injury.

“We’re saying accidents happen, sometimes things occur, and no one is to blame,” he remarked. “He didn’t intend it, he didn’t mean it, and he is sorry.”

The trial will continue in Darwin on Tuesday.