89-Year-Old Leicester Man Jailed For Sexually Abusing Boys

22 May 2015, 14:36 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

An 89-year-old Leicester man who abused pupils while he works as a teacher in the 1970s and 80s, has been jailed.

Peter Farrands was also a former church minister and abused one of his victims in a classroom at the Folville Junior School in Leicester during the 1980s.

Farrands from Evesham Road, Leicester, was convicted last month by a jury of five counts of indecent assault against both his victims during the 1970s and 1980s and today he's been given 7 years in jail.

Judge Calls The Abuse 'Awful'

Sentencing a frail-looking Farrands, Judge Hammond said that the attacks were "awful, awful offences'' on vulnerable youngsters which had left the victims "tormented'' into adulthood.

The judge was "moved'' by the witness testimony of one of the men for whom the effect of abuse "has been frankly devastating'', he added.

Victim Speaks Outside Court

49-year-old Robert Gibb, who has waived his right to anonymity, said: "If he had been a younger man, he'd have got longer."

"He did wrong to me and I think the sentence is adequate.''

Mr Gibb was aged 10 or 11 when a three-year period of abuse started in 1976 while he was a pupil at the school in the Braunstone area of the city.

In his summing up the Judge told the court the victim wasn't believed at the time of the abuse: "After the incident, Robert told his parents and his parents contacted the school and met the headmaster, who was very dismissive and said Robert was lying.

"Nevertheless the defendant, headmaster and Scout commissioner visited the family when the defendant begged them to take the matter no further, saying his wife would leave him. Robert's parents agreed.''

Ferrands second victim also spoke outside court and said what happened to him could have been stopped.

"He was found out years ago but left to teach children and to abuse me.

"I feel angry about this and angry he's lived his life free of any guilt. I've served his sentence for the last 35 years.
"I'll never forgive him.

"If Robert Gibb had been taken seriously in the first place, this would never have happened to me.''