WATCH: Ex-teacher jailed five years for teen sex abuse

Thursday 14 February 2019

A disgraced former teacher will spend five years behind bars for sexually assaulting two teenage girls.

Ian David Priestley (66), who previously worked as a teacher at Les Quennevais and Le Rocquier, was handed his sentence in the Royal Court after being convicted of ten counts of sexual misconduct against two young girls in the 1990s and 2000s.

Earlier this year, Priestley was found guilty of six counts of indecent assault and four counts of procuring acts of gross indecency with two teen girls who testified against him at trial as grown women.

Although he has always denied the charges and still maintains his innocence, he has now he has been taken into custody to serve a lengthy prison sentence for the offences.

Pictured: The former teacher leaving the Royal Court after he was convicted of sexual assault last month.

During the trial, the Court heard from both of Priestley’s victims – one of whom told the jury of five women and seven men that she still feels “dirty” after what he did to her. She explained that Priestley massaged her back whilst he was in a state of arousal.

The other victim in this case testified that Priestley would text or call her to arrange meetings in Howard Davis Park where he would kiss and grope her over her clothing as well as getting her to touch him inappropriately. 

Crown Advocate Julian Gollop appeared for the prosecution and summed up the case for Royal Court Commissioner Sir Michael Birt, presiding, and Jurats Blampied, Dulake, Nicolle, Ramsden and Thomas. 

This number of Jurats only assemble as the ‘Superior Number’ to pass sentence on the most serious offences – they have the power to impose custodial sentences of four years’ imprisonment and above.

Pictured: Royal Court Commissioner Sir Michael Birt and a panel of five Jurats passed sentence on Ian David Priestley.

Having taken the Court through the facts, the Crown Advocate made his recommendations to the Commissioner and Jurats as to sentencing, remarking: “...It is abundantly clear that the Defendant has a sexual interest in teenage girls."

Describing Priestley’s offences as “serious”, Crown Advocate Gollop told the Court: “These were offences committed by a mature adult against two naïve teenage girls who lost their innocence in consequence of the Defendant’s offending.”

The Crown Advocate advised that the Court should impose a six-year prison sentence for the ten offences. 

Crown Advocate Gollop also asked for Priestley to be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for a period of ten years and for a restraining order which would restrict Priestley’s contact with young girls under a certain age as well as preventing him from contact with his two victims. 

Video: Priestley hid his face when he left the Court having learned of his five-year prison sentence.

Defence Advocate Ian Jones, contrastingly, deemed the Crown’s sentencing recommendations as “too high” and “excessive.” Making his submissions, the Defence Advocate took the Court through sentencing guidelines for these offences in the UK which he explained were “substantially lower” than the sentence suggested by the Crown.

Despite indicating that “Mr Priestley is not remorseful and maintains his innocence”, Advocate Jones urged the Court to consider his client’s previous good character and the “awful long time” Priestley has spent on bail when reflecting on what sentence to impose.

Having retired for almost an hour to consider the sentence, the Commissioner and Jurats decided on a sentence of five years' imprisonment as well as imposing the restraining order asked for by the Crown and placing Priestley on the Sex Offenders' Register.

Addressing Priestley directly, Sir Michael said: "...your offending has had a significant impact on these two women. The court takes a firm view of sexual offences committed against children."