Greggs Heir Jailed For 13 Years For Horrific Child Abuse Crimes

The heir to Greggs bakery has been jailed for 13-and-a-half years after 'abusing his trust' as a teacher.

Colin Gregg, 75, from Gosforth, Newcastle, sexually assaulted four boys aged between 10 and 14. This abuse started in 1963 and took place over a period of 30 years.

He was head teacher at The King's School Junior School in Tynemouth, and also taught at Durham School. However, he also helped build up the bakery business and once worked as a social worker.

Gregg benefited greatly from the family business and became rich. He also helped to raise thousands of pounds for children's charities, a court heard.

A jury at Leeds Crown Court found him guilty on March 3 despite the fact he denied nine counts of indecently assaulting the children.

Judge Robin Mairs said: "It is true you have enjoyed great wealth, privilege and social standing.

"It is also true that you used those benefits as a cloak of respectability behind which you sexually abused young boys. You were a charismatic, inspiring teacher and mentor but you used those attributes to groom boys and to protect yourself from allegations."

The court heard that he abused one boy in a swimming pool while others were molested in his car, a gym or his study, reports the BBC.

Northumbria Police released a statement from one of Gregg's victims. They said: "Mr Gregg was a man who I had invested an enormous amount of trust and respect in.

"As an 11-year-old, my naivety and emotional immaturity meant that the only way I could resolve this dilemma was to assume that what had happened was my own fault. For many years, shame and embarrassment were easier to tolerate than the truth. Mr Gregg's abuse of power and trust left me with an extremely cynical and mistrustful view.

"I have never been motivated by vengeance, rather my desire has been to set reality straight and where possible to uphold the reality for others who had similar experiences. Looking back at this whole episode of my life, it is something that I do not wish to dwell on and I sincerely hope now that I can put it all behind me and never hear the name Colin Gregg ever again."

The NSPCC has praised the victims for coming forward and commended their bravery.

Source: BBC and ITV

Topics: Paedophile, Greggs

Mel Ramsay

Mel Ramsay has been a Senior Journalist for Tyla and LADbible since 2015. She started her career writing obituaries and funeral guides online. Since then, her work has been published in a wide variety of national and local news sites. She is part of the BBC's Generation project and has spoken about young people, politics and mental health on television, radio and online. Contact her - [email protected]

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