Teacher's registration cancelled over drink driving charge

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A teacher has had her registration cancelled after failing to disclose a drink driving charge.

Louise Patricia Thomson first appeared before the Teacher Disciplinary Tribunal in June 2013 following traffic offences, including a drink driving offence.

At this hearing Ms Thomson failed to notify the tribunal of a further conviction for excess breath alcohol from 2012, the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal has found.

When Ms Thomson applied to have her registration and practising certificate renewed earlier this year, the Teachers Council sought and obtained a police vet and discovered that at her previous hearing she had not notified the council of this further conviction.

As a result Ms Thomson has once again appeared before the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal.

Ms Thomson told the tribunal she believed they were aware of all of her convictions and said it only became apparent to her they were not when she applied to have her registration renewed.

"I would have definitely disclosed it if I had known at the time and I am very sorry and embarrassed about the current situation."

Ms Thomson said that it was out of character for her to be "so careless and act so irresponsibly".

She said at the time of the offence her grandmother had passed away and because of their close relationship it had affected her badly.

She said on the night the offence occurred she had consumed two glasses of wine at a friend's house and was unaware she was over the limit.

The tribunal said "we don't accept the respondent's evidence or submission that she did not realise that her most recent convictions was not in the mix".

"She had an absolute obligation to disclose it to the tribunal so that it could be taken into account."

Ms Thomson was censured and she had her registration cancelled.

"For a teacher to act with such flagrant lack of candour in dealing with his or her professional disciplinary body is simply unacceptable and raises in our mind a real doubt about that teacher's suitability to hold a practising certificate."