Sex abuse teacher's appeal - conviction stands

Mark Standish (pictured), also known as Alex Standish, was sentenced to four years in prison at Reading Crown Court in March, after a jury found him guilty of four counts of indecently assaulting a pupil while he was a teacher at Crookham Court School in Thatcham between 1988 and 1989.
The school closed in the late 1980s after being exposed by the Newbury Weekly News and BBC TV series That’s Life, which led to three members of the school’s staff being convicted for sexual abuse.
After a trial at Reading Crown Court in 1990, the owner of the school, Philip Cadman, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
French teacher William Printer was convicted of two indecent assaults and one attempted serious sexual assault, and was imprisoned for 10 years at the same trial.
English teacher Anthony Edmonds was jailed for six years after admitting four charges of serious sexual assault and seven charges of indecent assault.
Cadman’s and Printer’s sentences were both reduced to six years on appeal but last week 48-year-old Standish’s appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal.
Standish, who was living in Station Street, Waterhouses, Durham, at the time of his conviction, has two weeks in order to lodge a further appeal.
If successful, his appeal will be considered by a panel of judges at the Court of Appeal.
*Meanwhile, it has emerged that the now infamous Crookham Court School could be redeveloped in a joint venture.
The mansion, outbuildings and 10.66 acre grounds are currently under offer, according to Newbury estate agents Carter Jonas.
An agent at the firm, Nick White, said: “The owner is in negotiation about a joint venture with a developer, so it’s not finalised.
“We’re treating it as under offer, so the building is not on the market at the moment.”
The 24,000 sq ft mansion is currently unoccupied, with only Crookham Court Lodge and some of the paddocks currently being used, according to Henwick Properties, which has managed the site since the school was closed in 1989.
Crookham House was built by Bulstrode Peachey in 1729 and bought by Richard Tull, known as the ‘Squire of Crookham’, in 1790.
The original house was demolished in 1850 and the current buildings were rebuilt on the same site.
Commander Simon Smithwick opened the site as an independent boarding school for boys in 1961.
Sixteen years late Philip Cadman bought the school, which was closed in 1989 and the following year Cadman, Printer and Edmonds were convicted.
The house is reported to be still owned by members of the Cadman family, however both Carter Jonas and Henwick Properties refused to confirm who currently owned the buildings.