Former Alice Springs principal Gavin Morris facing trial for allegedly assaulting schoolchildren

The trial of a prominent former school principal accused of physically assaulting five children has begun in Alice Springs.

Gavin Morris, the former principal of Yipirinya School, an independent school for Indigenous children on the outskirts of Alice Springs, is facing a judge-only trial on five counts of aggravated assault.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

In his opening address in the Alice Springs Local Court this week, prosecutor James Moore outlined the charges against the former principal. 

He said they included holding a child in a chokehold, pulling a child's ear, manhandling pupils and using headlocks on children.

The prosecutor referred to historical incidents going back to 2023 and some incidents immediately before the defendant's arrest in August 2024. 

He told the court some alleged incidents occurred during school-time, and highlighted a single incident involving two children which allegedly involved "choking or grabbing of the neck".

Dr Morris started as the principal of Yipirinya School in 2021.

He was charged in August 2024, and later that year his teacher registration was suspended and he was terminated from his principal role.

He was also previously a councillor at the Alice Springs Town Council but resigned in March this year. 

Court hears evidence from parents, teacher

On the first day of the trial, the court heard evidence from the father of one of the five alleged victims.

The parent, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told the court he was "angry" about Dr Morris's behaviour and about him allegedly physically restraining his son.

The court heard his son was allegedly involved in an altercation with other pupils in front of the school. 

In his evidence, the child's father told the court that "a lot of people from the school have told us he [Dr Morris] had manhandled [our child]". 

He also spoke about a heated conversation he had with Dr Morris during a meeting a week after the incident.

The father alleged that when he asked Dr Morris "did you manhandle my son", the principal responded that he had to "remove" the child "from the situation".

Under questioning from Dr Morris's defence barrister John Wilson, the man confirmed that the meeting was not a formal meeting, but one that – in Mr Wilson's words — "took place between the dad, his wife, their son, and [Dr] Morris at the school".

Another witness — the mother of a child at the school, who also cannot be named for legal reasons — told the court the defendant had held a child in "a chokehold" during a lesson at the school.

She said the incident had allegedly taken place when pupils got into an altercation. 

A teacher — another witness — told the court the child involved in that incident had thrown furniture.

The employee told the court that when one pupil had thrown a chair, Dr Morris had sought to restrain the pupil with a "bear hug".

The teacher was asked by Mr Moore whether Dr Morris's arms were on the child's lower chest or closer to his neck, which the prosecutor said could constitute a chokehold. 

In response the teacher pointed to his upper chest, however he told the court he believed this did not constitute a danger for the pupil. 

During the second day of the trial, the prosecution and defence argued over the admissibility of vision filmed by a witness as evidence.

Mr Wilson said the evidence was inadmissible because the camera had slipped during filming, arguing it did not show all of the witness's body language.

He said the vision's inclusion would be a "gross injustice" for Dr Morris.

The prosecution argued that the issue with the vision would have to be "something quite extraordinary" for it not to be admitted as evidence.

Judge Anthony Hopkins ultimately said he was satisfied with the evidence and ruled it as admissible.

The judge-only trial continues.