Norfolk school teacher jailed for five years

IAN CLARKE
04 November 2009 10:00



A high school science teacher who “preyed on innocent girls for his own sexual gratification” has been jailed for five years.

The promising career of Brett Meeds, 28, who taught at Northgate High School, in Dereham, and the town's sixth form college from 2005 to earlier this year is in ruins after he formed sexual relationships with three girls - one aged 15 and two aged 16.

The “grave breach of trust” went on from late last year to early this year and he had sex with the girls on numerous occasions.

Meeds taught the girls physics and he groomed them and relationships developed.

At one point he was having a relationship with two of the girls at the same time.

Northgate's acting headteacher Sue Wheeler last night said the school was “digusted” at what Meeds had done.

“We employed him in good faith, with him having passed enhanced criminal records checks and coming to us out of training with appropriate references from his placements, and he thoroughly exploited the position of trust he was placed in.

“I also want to pay tribute to the young people who have helped bring Meeds to justice. He has quite rightly been sent to jail and will not go on to be a teacher anywhere else.”

At Norwich Crown Court, Meeds, of Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, was jailed after admitting nine offences.

Two were of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl and five were of sexual activity with girls which breached his position of trust.

There were also two charges of possessing indecent photographs of girls. Two girls had sent him more than 30 pictures of themselves to his mobile phone.

Two of the victims of the sexual abuse were in court to see Meeds jailed.

Judge Simon Barham said it had been “a very serious breach of trust” and the girls “had suffered significantly”.

The judge imposed a series of strict orders on Meeds, which will prevent him having contact with young people.

Det Supt Chris Hobley, of Norfolk Police, said: “He took advantage of them and exploited them and there has been a real impact for the girls and their families.”

Prosecuting lawyer Lorraine Irwin said: “Meeds was in a position of trust as a teacher and abused this trust and preyed on these innocent girls for his own sexual gratification.

“The victims in this case have been have been through a terrible ordeal and in these very difficult circumstances have been very brave in coming forward.”

Matthew Gowen, mitigating, said Meeds was a man of previous good character who was a talented teacher and “appreciated it was a very grave and serious breach of trust.”

He said: “He was obviously talented and had a good career in front of him. One of the fundamental aspects of this case is that by acting in the way he did he has taken himself away from ever teaching again.”

Mr Gowen said Meeds found it difficult to explain why it happened but had more in common with students than people his own age.

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