A Sydney high school teacher has pleaded guilty to three aggravated counts of having sex with a 14-year-old after her barrister told a court she wanted to put the boy "out of his misery" as soon as possible.
Monica Elizabeth Young, 24, was due to stand trial in September over allegations she repeatedly sexually assaulted a male student in June and July 2020.
She entered a not guilty plea to 12 charges in February.
But on Tuesday Young pleaded guilty to three counts on an altered indictment.
She replied "Guilty, your honour" each time as three charges of having sexual intercourse with a child aged 14 who was under her authority at the time were read out.
She will remain on bail until her sentence hearing, where prosecutor Alexander Terracini said he would argue prison time is "the only option" for Young.
Her high-profile barrister Margaret Cunneen SC told the court Young would have psychiatric and psychological reports prepared before she is sentenced.
"I expect there may be some treatment regimes that hopefully Ms Young might be able to enter into before the inevitable," she said.
The unexpected plea happened on the same morning Young's teenage victim was due to pre-record his evidence ahead of the trial in September.
On Monday, Ms Cunneen told District Court Judge Kate Traill she had approached the Director of Public Prosecutions last week about Young pleading guilty to some charges, but had not heard back.
"My client was very anxious to avoid the situation where (the boy) had to endure another weekend of concern about having to do this," she said.
"Because of the time taken to make this decision, that has occurred."
"They were certainly my instructions from Young, to put him out of his misery, as it were, as soon as possible."
Prosecutor Alexander Terracini replied he would do his best to get a speedy answer from those upstairs.
By Tuesday morning the matter had been resolved and a fresh indictment handed up to Judge Traill.
Terracini also handed up three documents relating to other offences that will be taken into account when Young is sentenced, but will not result in a conviction.
Young will be sentenced on June 24.
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