A MUM who falsely accused a headteacher of being an “undercover child abuser” in social media posts left her victim fearing going to and leaving school, a court heard.

Lacey Baldwin, 24, posted the defamatory statement to her own public Facebook page and a community page which has thousands of members.

Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard Baldwin first called the school at 12.30pm on November 10, alleging girls were being assaulted by a boy.

The court heard the headteacher tried to calm her down, but she was “inconsolable”.

Across this call, and two other phone calls made later that day, the court heard she called the headteacher a “nonce” and made threats to “punch her head in”.

On November 12 at 1.20pm, Baldwin again called the school to request the pupil be kept away from her daughter.

The court heard she called the headteacher “a nonce, a paedophile and an undercover child abuser”.

These words were later posted on her Facebook page and the community page.

In a victim impact statement, the teacher said she had been left concerned about leaving school and travelling to school on her own.

She said due to the threats she had trouble sleeping and had taken some time off work.

The court heard she felt her reputation had been damaged and her school slandered.

Baldwin, who has two convictions for three offences, admitted a single charge of sending an electronic communication containing and indecent or grossly offensive message.

Representing herself, she said she had been trying to address an incident at the school involving an assault on her daughter, which she felt had not been taken seriously.

“I did not do a lot of what she’s said,” she said.

“My daughter came out of school crying, saying she didn’t want to go back in.

“I called the school to ask if there was any way for him to be kept away from her in the classroom.”

Baldwin, of Gatefield Close, Walton, was given a £100 fine a £34 victim surcharge.