Victims 'frustrated' as abusive teacher spared more jail time

Victims have said they are frustrated and angry after a former teacher avoided any extension to his prison sentence, despite a jury concluding he sexually abused five pupils in the 1980s.

Paul Stainsby, 76, was jailed for 14 years in 2022 for sexual offences committed while teaching at a school in Essex in the 1970s.

On Tuesday, a jury at Warwick Crown Court found that Stainsby had committed 10 further offences against five pupils at Warwick School following a trial of the facts.

Judge Matthew Walsh acknowledged the victims' "sense of frustration" at the lack of further jail time but said Stainsby had a progressive form of dementia that had affected his memory and left him unfit for trial.

He said there was "some sense of justice" for the victims in having their accounts heard and a jury accepting that Stainsby did commit the further offences.

However, James Hawkesford, who helped bring the case against Stainsby after hearing the victims' stories, said those abused by the defendant had hoped for more.

"[They] would have liked to have seen Stainsby sentenced further but a jury has come back and said he was guilty of the things he was on trial for, so I think there is some closure in that," he said.

"I just hope the people who came forward can now move on and have the best possible life."

Stainsby worked at the school during the 1980s and lived in a self-contained bedsit within the headmaster's accommodation, where much of the abuse took place, the court heard.

Prosecutor Simon Burch said the teacher would create opportunities to be alone with pupils, including on camping trips, after canoeing sessions and in his bedroom following parties at his home.

"He would befriend and secure the trust of the boys," Burch said. "Classic examples of what today we would call grooming."

In a victim impact statement read to the court, one victim said his "sense of self-worth was detrimentally impacted" by the abuse.

It had damaged his relationship with his father, leaving him unable to accept affection such as hugs or an arm around the shoulder, and directly caused him to lose his relationship with his older brother and nephew.

"My self-confidence was severely impacted and my school years became something to escape from rather than embrace," he said.

"The school was an institution to be feared rather than enjoyed. Mentally, the impact has been permanent."

Judge Walsh said there had been "plainly a profound effect" on the victim who read his statement.

However, he hoped the jury's findings would help "close this chapter" for those affected.

Stainsby was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 16, one count of indecent assault on a male aged 16 or over, and one count of inciting a boy under 14 to commit an act of gross indecency.

He will remain in custody until January 2029, serving a 14-year prison sentence for sexual offences in Essex against two boys and a girl under the age of 16.

Once released, he will be subject to strict licence conditions until January 2036 and remain on the sex offenders' register for life.

James Barker, head of Warwick School, said the school's "thoughts are above all with those affected".

"We acknowledge the immense courage of those who came forward to give evidence and are deeply sorry they experienced such appalling abuse," he said.

"We recognise these findings may be deeply upsetting for former pupils, staff and others connected with the school. Anyone who wishes to speak to us or seek support in relation to the issues raised during the trial is encouraged to get in touch."

Barker added that safeguarding was "at the heart of everything we do, and we will reflect carefully on what happened with that in mind".

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