Former North Leamington School teacher found guilty of historical sex offences but cannot be jailed

David Wesley had denied a total of 21 charges including indecent assaults on girls under the age of 16 and on girls under the age of 14.

He first appeared at Warwick Crown Court as long ago as December 2016 when it was said he had committed offences against four girls on dates between 1977 and 1992.

At that time Wesley (66) of Offchurch Road, Cubbington, was a teacher at North Leamington School, and was also a youth club leader at Cubbington Methodist Church.

Wesley’s barrister Scott Coughtrie said: “This is a four-complainant historical sex case over a period of 15 years, and we are told there are potentially 30 witnesses in respect of his behaviour.”

He asked for Wesley not to be arraigned at that hearing because the papers in the case had only recently been served on the defence.

Judge Stephen Eyre QC commented: “He knows whether he has or has not committed these offences.”

Mr Coughtrie, who said it was ‘a very complex historical case,’ indicated: “This is going to be a trial.”

At a later hearing Wesley pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was to stand trial at the end of October last year.

But two weeks before it had been due to start, the trial had to be adjourned after the court was told that Wesley was in hospital.

He was subsequently found to be suffering from dementia and mentally unfit to stand trial in the normal way.

Instead, a ‘trial of fact’ has taken place at Birmingham Crown Court, where a jury was asked to decide whether he ‘did the acts alleged.’

And in relation to 16 of the 21 allegations, they found that he did, but found him not guilty of the other five.

But because of the finding that he was unfit to stand trial, there are only three possible disposals – a hospital order detaining him in a psychiatric hospital under the Mental Health Act, supervision or an absolute discharge.

And a hospital order can only be imposed if the person is suffering from a treatable condition.

Wesley is expected to learn what is to happen to him on Wednesday - after the judge has read or heard statements from three of his victims.