Former head who abused boy pupils jailed for 21 years

A former boarding school head who sexually and physically abused boy pupils during the late 1970s and early 1980s was yesterday given a 21-year jail term.

Oxford-educated Derek Slade, 61, of Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was convicted of more than 50 offences, including possessing pornographic images of children on a computer.

Judge Peter Fenn recommended that Slade should serve at least 14 years before being released on parole and pay 30,000 towards prosecution costs. He said Slade's victims had "lost days of childhood innocence", been left with feelings of inadequacy, blame and worthlessness and become men whose "lives were seriously damaged".

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A jury found Slade guilty of sexually assaulting and beating 12 boys aged between eight and 13 between 1978 and 1983 following a four-week trial at Ipswich Crown Court.

Jurors heard that Slade ran St George's private school, which was initially based in Wicklewood, Norfolk, then moved to Great Finborough, Suffolk, in 1980.

Prosecutors said Slade meted out brutal beatings. He had hit boys with a slipper, a table tennis bat and his bare hand, ordered youngsters to write about "whackings I have had" and given "kickings" to boys who upset him.

Boys had also been used as waiters at private dinners then "chosen" by Slade and his guests, jurors were told.

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The court heard that most pupils were the sons of servicemen and women and pupil numbers rose from about 20 in 1978, when Slade and colleagues opened the school, to 350 in 1983, when Slade left.

Slade was arrested after former pupils complained two years ago. One victim said he had never told his parents what had happened.

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