Please state your name and occupation for the court. My name is Vincent Mark Diesel. I am now enrolled at the University of Western Australia, studying a sports science degree. In 2016, I was a Year 12 student at Floral Heights High School. I was repeating Year 12 as I had not achieved the marks I had hoped for in 2015.
What were you studying there?
I was studying Maths Specialist, Biology, Chemistry, Physical Education, and Spanish. I failed Maths Specialist and Biology in 2015. Both of these are prerequisites for my degree which is why I had to repeat them. Is there any reason why you failed these? I don’t really enjoy maths. I find it difficult to pay attention in class or remember all the stupid formulas. Noise and other people talking is distracting to me. I can concentrate better when it is quiet.
What were your grades likes?
By the middle of the year, I was only hovering around a 50 in maths. I was growing increasingly concerned that I wasn’t going to pass the exam a second time.
What did you do about this?
I started taking tutoring outside of classes to help with my grades, including three times per week in maths.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to repeat Year 12 again, because I had been blamed for an incident in June where someone in a purple morph suit ran across the athletics track during the Year 12 100m race.
Is there any particular reason why you were blamed for this?
I am a mascot for my younger brother’s soccer team. It requires me to wear a blue morph suit. I don’t have a purple morph suit. Lara Ashcroft’s little brother is on the same team. She knows I’m the mascot.
Why are you the mascot for your brother’s team?
I am a dedicated athlete. Running is my particular favourite sport. I specialise in 1500m races.
What is your relationship like with Lara?
Lara has hated me since I refused to go to the 2015 formal with her. She always brags about how smart she is. She’s insufferable. I can’t believe she thought I would ever go to the formal with her.
Is there any other reason why you dislike her?
She is so obsessed with me. She thinks everything bad that happens to her is my fault.
Could you give an example of this?
She even blamed me for stealing her diary, though she later admitted she’d just left it at home! I wish she would just move on. Also, she accused me of being the one in the purple morph suit. Lara often stares at me over those stupid thick glasses of hers. We all know she can’t see anything except the paper in front of her if she’s not wearing them.
How were you feeling about the exam?
n the morning of the Maths Specialist exam, I was feeling confident and well-prepared. My tutor told me I was going to ace it. I had also sat the Maths Specialist exam before so I felt like I knew what I could expect.
Were you allowed to bring anything into the exam?
We were allowed to take notes into the exam. My tutor had been really helpful and I felt confident. We prepared my double-sided sheet of notes together the night before.
How did you get to school?
I decided to run to school to take the exam. Running always focuses my mind and is a stress release for me.
What did you wear?
I wore a black shirt and shorts to run to school, and had my headphones in. Between the music and my focus on my exam, I was barely paying attention to what was going on around me as I ran. I couldn’t tell you what route I took or who I saw.
When did you arrive at school?
I arrived at school at about 8: 00am. I had arranged to meet my friend Paul at the toilets near the exam hall at about 8: 30. I was a bit early, so I decided to go into the shower block and have a shower. I was sweaty from my run and had spare clothes in my backpack. I had my shower and then met Paul.
Did you see Lara again?
Lara followed me into the exam room and sat right behind me. It was weird. Luckily she’d taken her glasses off to focus on the exam paper, so I knew she couldn’t really see what I was doing anymore.
How did you find the exam?
I found the exam long, but not difficult. I referred to my notes a lot: having the formulas already written out was really helpful. I left my exam thrilled with how well it had gone.
What was your mark like?
I was even more excited when I received the exam back and I had achieved the highest score at my school. I am still very proud of myself for my hard work paying off. The best part was the look on Lara’s face when I got the Maths award at our graduation.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
My mum and dad were so happy that they gave my tutor a $500 bonus.
