Teddy row teacher is home

December 04, 2007

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Gillian Gibbons arrives at Heathrow Airport, followed by Baroness Warsi

Gillian Gibbons arrives at Heathrow Airport, followed by Baroness Warsi 1/3 Play Slideshow

LIVERPOOL teacher Gillian Gibbons, who was jailed in Sudan for allowing her class to name a teddy bear Mohammed, has arrived back in Britain after her "ordeal".

After touching down at Heathrow on Tuesday morning, Mrs Gibbons, 54, from Aigburth, said: "I went out there to have a bit of an adventure and got more of an adventure than I bargained for."

She said: "I'm looking forward to seeing my family and friends and to have a good rest. It has been an ordeal but I was well treated in prison and everyone was very kind to me."

Mrs Gibbons said: "I am very sorry to leave Sudan. I had a fabulous time.

"It is a beautiful place and I had a chance to see some of the countryside. The Sudanese people I found to be extremely kind and generous and until this happened I only had a good experience."

The mother-of-two spent more than a week in jail for insulting Islam after letting her seven-year-old pupils give the bear the same name as the sacred prophet.

She was sentenced to 15 days in jail last week but was released early after diplomacy by British peers Lord Ahmed and Baroness Warsi secured a pardon from the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Monday.

Mrs Gibbons told reporters at Heathrow: "I was very upset to think I might have caused any offence.

"I never imagined this would happen. I am just an ordinary primary school teacher."

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Leo B (04/12/2007 at 09:52)

Why is the word "ordeal" in quotation marks? Does the MEN actually doubt that her experience qualifies as an ordeal? If so, why?

Blue Chris, On The Blue Moon (04/12/2007 at 11:04)

So will she have a criminal record?

Sarah Hartley, M.E.N (04/12/2007 at 11:26)

Leo, "quotes" are included within inverted commas. Ms Gibbon's view is that it was an "ordeal". The M.E.N reports the facts.

Pippa, Manchester (04/12/2007 at 12:25)

Could somebody let us all know who picks up the tab for all this - flights for the 2 peers etc etc ?

Pescado (04/12/2007 at 14:37)

pippa,the nation as a whole picks up the tab and so it should.
She is a UK citizen and was being treated unfairly by a foriegn power for making a minor mistake.
I would hope the british government would do the same for any UK citizen in a similar situation.

alvinlwh (04/12/2007 at 17:37)

I hope this is a lesson to everyone that they should stay out of Sudan and Darfur!

Pippa, Manchester (04/12/2007 at 18:14)

Pescado - to be very blunt, whilst I have every sympathy, she broke the law of the country and was sentenced accordingly. We may not agree with it, but that's life.

Pescado (04/12/2007 at 19:15)

But Pippa,if a citizen makes a mistake and is so harshly treated by a foriegn power should they not expect to be helped by their own government.
It was a mistake, how was she to know they are that touchy? I mean half the terrorists it seems have the same name as the teddy.

Mike, Manchester (04/12/2007 at 22:06)

I suggest that anyone doubting the value of their UK citizenship has never felt themselves to be outside the reach of its influence.

Pippa, Manchester (05/12/2007 at 12:52)

Pescado A mistake it may have been but ignorance is no defence even in this country. And to go to live in a foreign country and obviously not research into the culture and religion of that country is at the very best naive, especially for a woman of her intelligence. I'm sorry, but if one of our citizens commits an illegal offence in a foreign country I don't see why I should have to foot the bill. Whether we agree with the law of the country or not is irrelevant.

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