The victim looked up to Scots School Albury employee Samual McDonald as a "big brother" figure.

They were close, magistrate Richard Funston was told at McDonald's sentencing hearing on Friday.

IN OTHER NEWS:

But his decision to not stop the group of seven Year 12 boys, aged 17 and 18 at the time of the assault last August 11, would have greatly upset the victim.

"It's a gross breach of trust," Director of Public Prosecutions representative Mary-Beth McFarlane told Albury Local Court.

"The fact that this person doesn't stand up for him is something that's weighed heavily on him ever since."

The assault began when the older boys approached the victim in a room at the school, grabbed him and bound his limbs with duct tape.

He was carried down a corridor to another room, where the students found a mattress on to which he was taped.

MORE COURT STORIES

McDonald, who had received glowing reports from a teacher training stint at a Lavington school, saw what was happening and followed them into the room.

But he didn't try to stop them, aside from commenting: "Put the mattress over the top of him and leave him there."

Defence lawyer Paul Keane said McDonald had not long witnessed a horrific roll-over crash where someone had to be flown to hospital in Melbourne with critical injuries.

The trauma of that probably contributed to his distance from the events unfolding in front of him at the school just three hours later, he said.

Mr Funston accepted this, but pointed out that McDonald should have called his supervisor at Scots to say he could not attend work.

Mr Keane said McDonald had been strict on discipline previously but the school told him to ease up.

Mr Funston told McDonald, who he placed on a 12-month conditional release order, that he should have stood up and stopped the assault as "you were the adult".

He was the only one to be convicted on Friday, for stalking or intimidation. The seven teenagers each pleaded guilty to common assault.

Five were put on conditional release orders, of lengths between three and, for one, 12 months. That boy faced two assault charges, one related to him flicking the boy on his bare stomach.

Of the two before the Albury Children's Court, one was cautioned and the other got a six-month bond. None can be identified

Lawyer Mark Cronin, who represented six of the group, said they were young men of "excellent character" whose behaviour had "mortified" and "devastated" their families.

"Had this teacher said at any time 'just stop' they would have," Mr Cronin said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: