- Anne Lakey, 55, from Stanley, Co Durham, took virginity of two young boys
- Her first victim called her a 'dirty pervert'
- Court heard she carried out 'gross breach of trust' for 'own gratification'
- Lakey mouthed 'I love you' to trap daughter and husband as she was led away
- Police believe there could be many more victims and have urged witnesses to come forward
Highly-regarded
Anne Lakey, 55, from Stanley, County Durham, carried out a 'gross
breach of trust' for her 'own sexual gratification' by simultaneously
grooming the two teenagers at her marital home.
The
teacher had once been hailed as a visionary for turning around a
failing school and making it one of the most improved in the country.
But
her sordid past was laid bare in court as her two victims detailed the
years of abuse they suffered at the hands of the paedophile.
The
court heard how, when away from the classroom, Lakey - who has been
married three times, each to a younger man - was a 'disgusting sexual
monster' who preyed on the teenagers, even having sex with one for the
first time in a tent on a school camping trip.
The
then 28-year-old, who taught history at the time, then continued to
have sex with the teenagers at separate times, unbeknown to her first
husband.
Police
fear there could be even more victims that Lakey may have targeted
during her successful career and urged witnesses to come forward.
Today,
the head's career was left in tatters as Judge Howard Crowson told
Lakey - who had always denied the charges - that she had 'corrupted two
young boys half your age' during the three-year campaign of abuse.
She was also
named in a Department for Education pamphlet as a 'visionary leader',
described as 'inspiring' by Sir Michael Wilshaw, the chief inspector of
education.
But
was suspended from her role as chief executive of the Durham
Federation, in charge of two secondary schools, in 2012 when the younger
complainant sent an accusing email about the historic offences.
During
the trial, the court had heard how, while she was married to her second
of three husbands, Lakey had groomed the younger victim.
He was encouraged to expose her breasts during a dare game at her home before she let him watch her bathe, the jury was told.
She then took his virginity on the marital bed while he was still in his school uniform, the court heard.
Lakey
phoned the boy's school when he was truanting, pretended to be his
mother and said he was sick. She also encouraged him to call her
'mommy'.
The
court heard they met up to twice a week for sex and on one occasion he
was forced to hide in a cupboard when Lakey's husband came home.
The
jury was told the pair never used contraception and eventually had a
row when he told her he wanted to stop having sex. Lakey ordered him not
to 'tell anybody', the court heard.
At the time, she was about 28 and working as a history teacher in Sunderland.
Meanwhile,
she also took the older boy's virginity in a tent at a camp in the
middle of the night after she encouraged him to sneak over. She had
repeated sexual relations with those boys.
Her
second victim told the jury he was 'confused' and with a 'mess of
emotions' after the incident, which took place when he was 15.
He
claimed he crept across fields in the dark for the 'clandestine'
meeting. The teacher had told her husband Eamonn Toland to sleep in a
separate tent before asking the boy to visit her.
Lakey
had denied all the allegations but admitted having a legal, sexual
relationship with the older complainant when he was 18 and she was in
her early 30s.
Lakey
rose up the career before taking on the chief executive role, but was
exposed by the younger victim's late night email which branded her a
'disgusting sexual monster'.
Its author was furious after he spotted a blog in which she said her 'raison d'etre' was to help young people.
He named the second complainant who was to later tell police he too had been abused.
In the witness box he described how the sexual exploitation by an older woman immediately left him confused.
'On
the one hand, I was happy with my little self that I managed to lose my
virginity before I was 16, which seemed really important at the time,'
he said.
'On the
other hand, everything was over so quickly. It should have been a bit
more interesting than that. It was a bit of a confusing mix of emotions
as I left the tent.'
When
the police began investigating the younger complainant's accusing
email, Lakey rang him out of the blue to persuade him to lie to
detectives.
He
recalled: 'The delivery was like A Level psychology 101. There was the
initial 'My poor father, lost my mother' - a trump card to play.
'There
was 'my career, my daughter, my husband. I've definitely not had sex
with any other children since' was mentioned early on.
'It was laid on thick, emotionally at the start, towards the end there was flattery alongside that.'
Caroline Goodwin, prosecuting, asked how he felt about what happened to him.
'The
phone call really summed up the whole thing,' he told the court. 'Here
is somebody who has not spoken to me for 20 years who thought she could
get me to pick up the phone and lie to the police, 20 years after.
'If that doesn't give you an idea of the control she had over us lads, I don't know what would.'
Tim Roberts QC, mitigating, said Lakey had received treatment for breast cancer in 2012 and would require ongoing care.
The
judge said he was conscious of the effect the sentence would have on
her family. Lakey's father, husband David and daughter were in the
public gallery.
The judge added: You will find prison a particular hardship given the illness you have battled against.'
He
also greed that during her career she had been 'an inspirational
teacher and leader of schools', adding: 'By your efforts it is clear you
have improved the lives of many young people.'
After
the case, Detective Inspector Aelf Sampson, of Durham Constabulary,
said: 'This case involved two male victims who reported being the
victims of sexual abuse in the late 1980s.
'They
both have a clear memory of what happened to them when they were
children, corroborated by friends who they told at the time and over
later years.
'These
men were children at the time, and became vulnerable victims of sexual
abuse at the hands of a woman who had some power and responsibility for
them.
'She
was someone who was respected and seen as successful by the community.
These boys should have been safe in her company, instead of being
damaged by their experience.'
He
added: 'Regardless of whether these boys appear to have been willing
participants in the offences, they could not consent by law to what
happened. The law is there to protect victims.
'Durham
Constabulary will continue to support these victims with our partner
agencies, as we do for all victims of recent or non- recent sexual
abuse.
'The
guilty verdict today supports this approach from within the wider
criminal justice system and I urge other victims of sexual abuse to
report their crimes to the police so the appropriate action can be taken
and support offered.'
John
Dilworth, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS, said: 'I would like to
praise the bravery of the two victims in this case, who have been
instrumental in helping us to build a robust case against Anne Lakey.
'Mrs
Lakey manipulated the youthful naivety of both of these young men for
her own sexual gratification. By persisting with her denial of guilt
throughout both the investigation and prosecution of this case, she has
prolonged the process for both victims.
'I
appreciate that this outcome will involve mixed emotions for the two
victims of Mrs Lakey's actions but I would hope that the sentence passed
upon her today brings a measure of closure for both of them.
'I
hope that this case provides further reassurance to anyone who has been
a victim of sexual offences, no matter how much time may have passed,
that police and prosecutors will continue to work together to bring
those responsible to justice.'
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