NATIONAL: History teacher to be sentenced for rape of pupil

A history teacher is due to be sentenced for raping one of his pupils at a top private school.
Gary Dobbie (left) and James Husband, who are to be sentenced at Hove Crown CourtGary Dobbie (left) and James Husband, who are to be sentenced at Hove Crown Court
Gary Dobbie (left) and James Husband, who are to be sentenced at Hove Crown Court

James Husband told the 15-year-old girl: "It's OK, I've had a vasectomy" before the attack.

He is the fifth Christ's Hospital School teacher to be convicted of sexually abusing students over a period spanning more than 30 years and involving 22 victims.

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The 68-year-old, of Wigginton in York, was convicted last week of one count of rape and five of indecently assaulting a girl as young as 14 between 1990 and 1994 while he was teaching at the prestigious West Sussex school.

He is due to be sentenced at Hove Crown Court on Friday.

Also known by his middle name of Andrew, he insisted they only had "consensual sex" once when she was 16.

He was formally found not guilty of three other counts of rape against the same victim which were dropped part-way through his trial.

Husband's co-defendant, Gary Dobbie, who was convicted of abusing eight children as young as 12 over three years, is yet to be sentenced.

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During the course of the trial, two more former students came forward with allegations.

Investigations are continuing and so far no charges have been brought.

Teachers Peter Webb and Peter Burr were both jailed in the last year after admitting offences at the school between the 1960s and 1980s.

Sports coach Ajaz Karim - who went on to teach at Eton College and Queen's - was found guilty in April of assaulting six girls between 1985 and 1993 and is due to be sentenced in August.

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Students at the Horsham school can be charged up to £31,500 a year to attend and still wear a Tudor-style uniform of a long blue coat and high yellow socks.

Poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Sir Barnes Wallis, inventor of the bouncing bomb, are among some of the most famous alumni.