Former teacher jailed for sexually abusing 18 youngsters as judge praises courage of victims

Peter Holmes, now 73, was today jailed for 12 years as the judge who locked him up praised the courage of the now middle-aged men who had given evidence against him at a trial in May.

Some of the complainants, who must not be identified for legal reasons, were at Bradford Crown Court to see Holmes sentenced and Judge Ahmed Nadim heard four victim impact statements read out by prosecutor Michael Morley.

Holmes had been employed at at Malsis School, near Crosshills, between 1976 and 1991 as an English teacher and a rugby and cricket coach. It was an independent preparatory school until its closure in 2014.

“I would like to commend each and every one of the complainants for the courage that they have shown in coming forward and contributing to the delivery of justice,” said Judge Nadim.

“The giving of evidence by, if I may say so, middle-aged men with families and careers about the sexual abuse of them while they were children could not have been easy at all.

“It is hoped that each of them is better able to move forward in their respective lives in the knowledge that their abuser has been finally brought to justice.”

Holmes, of King Street, Bristol, went on trial in May after he denied more than 40 charges relating to allegations of sexual abuse involving young boys.

The jury eventually found him guilty of 29 offences including indecent assaults and gross indecency with children which sometimes took place in his flat at the school.

Opening the trial to the jury prosecutor Michael Morley outlined details of a series of allegations which included an incident when Holmes instructed a boy to massage him and allegations that he would rub Deep Heat cream on youngsters legs.

Holmes also “spooned” another boy in a tent during a camping trip to the Lake District and was said to have told boys to use a rowing machine in his flat either stripped down to their underwear or sometimes naked.

Mr Morley said that some of the offending was clearly sexual in nature, but he alleged that other incidents were also motivated by the defendant seeking sexual gratification.

During police interviews, Holmes denied any sexual abuse or improper conduct.

The jury heard that police inquiries were carried out into matters at the school in the 1990s and although Holmes was not the focus of that investigation his name and behaviour was raised as a matter of concern.

But Mr Morley said the investigation went no further at that time because Holmes had moved abroad.

In the1980s one youngster did make a complaint about Holmes' behaviour, but he continued abuse boys until he left the school.

Judge Nadim said Holmes had a reputation as a person to be feared and added:”Your reputation as a bully helped in the securing of your victims’ silence.”

He noted that when a complaint had been made by a child the school appeared to have been more concerned with the preservation of its reputation.

Holmes, who now suffers from arthritis and limited mobility, will have to register as a sex offender with the police for rest of his life and Judge Nadim also made him subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Barrister Edward Hetherington, for Holmes, said he described himself as “a broken down 73-year-old” and he was no longer the man who terrified and imposed himself on young boys.

Back in February this year Judge Nadim jailed a former music teacher at the same North Yorkshire school for 17 years after he was convicted by a jury of sexually abusing a young boy nearly 40 years ago.

David Hope, 74, faced spending the rest of his life in prison after Judge Nadim said his victim, who also cannot be identified for legal reasons, had had to relive his “horrific experience” at the school during a trial in December.

Judge Nadim said the complainant was still bearing the scars of the damage done to him by Hope who had exploited the boy’s vulnerability by repeatedly engaging in serious offending against him.