An ex-pupil's suicide, a torrent of allegations and the haunting question... Did one of our top public schools turn a blind eye to stories of abuse for years?

  • Paul Sheppard, now 53, taught at the £33,000-a-year Ampleforth College
  • Mr Sheppard taught science there for three months in the summer of 1989
  • He was cleared of indecently assaulting a boy, 10, while at Ampleforth
  • Another former pupil James Glynn killed himself in 2013, aged 35    

Former Ampleforth pupil James Glynn (pictured) committed suicide in 2013 at the age of 35

Former Ampleforth pupil James Glynn (pictured) committed suicide in 2013 at the age of 35

Sitting in the staff room of a school in his native Canada one February afternoon, Paul Sheppard came across an advert in a magazine for a job as a maths teacher in the Dominican Republic.

'I pondered the options,' he would later recall. 'Remain in Canada with -30c and two metres of snow or head to the Dominican Republic, with +30c and endless miles of sandy beaches. Needless to say, the decision was simple: I packed for the Dominican Republic and the rest, as they say, is history.'

And what a colourful, action-packed history it would prove to be. Over the next two decades, the divorced father-of-one would take up posts in South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Cameroon, Congo and China. And from being a lowly teacher, he rose to headmaster and then beyond, becoming a school director and a Doctor of Education.

But within his colourful CV, there is scant mention of his first foray abroad — to Britain's £33,000-a-year Ampleforth College, the most prestigious establishment at which he ever taught. Founded and run by the Benedictine monks of Ampleforth Abbey, its former pupils include ex-England rugby captain Lawrence Dallaglio, Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, actor Rupert Everett and the sculptor Antony Gormley.

Dr Sheppard, who is now 53, taught science there for three months in the summer of 1989. And when he left, he did so with what appeared to be the ringing endorsement of the headmaster, Father Dominic Milroy. His job reference praised his 'exceptional dedication', 'high level of idealism' and pastoral care that was 'much valued by children and parents alike'.

Today, a very different picture of Dr Sheppard's time teaching in England has emerged.

Last year, he was found not guilty of indecently assaulting a ten-year-old boy while at Ampleforth. Now, following an investigation by The Times, it is claimed the school failed to properly investigate the allegations that he had assaulted multiple pupils during his brief stay.

Those pupils believe they were badly let down by the school, which knew of the allegations at the time but did not inform the authorities. They are also concerned about the handling of the recent trial.

Dr Sheppard, who denied any wrongdoing, had been due to face seven charges of indecent assault against five former pupils, but following rulings by the judge, in the end only one ever took the stand.

Paul Sheppard, 53, (pictured) taught science at Ampleforth for three months in the summer of 1989

Paul Sheppard, 53, (pictured) taught science at Ampleforth for three months in the summer of 1989

And what has also emerged are details of Dr Sheppard's original arrest in 2014. He was stopped at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of serious sexual offences against another Ampleforth pupil, James Glynn.

Mr Glynn committed suicide in 2013 at the age of 35. Following his death, his relatives and friends vowed to fight for justice for him, their efforts ultimately leading to the trial over allegations made by another pupil.

With more former pupils coming forward with fresh allegations in recent days, there are growing calls for North Yorkshire police to re-open their investigation.

'We feel that the previous trial was a travesty,' said one former pupil. 'But we are not prepared to give up.'

Back in June 1989, Ampleforth was abuzz with talk about their charismatic new science teacher.

At 26, not only was he young, but he would regale pupils with exciting stories about his past life. He had briefly served in the Canadian Air Force and bedtime stories told in the dormitories of Junior House, home to boys aged ten to 13, featured tales of his derring-do.

'We liked him a lot,' one said. 'He introduced rounders games for the boys who didn't play cricket. He was a charismatic teacher.'

Then rumours began to spread about more worrying behaviour. A member of staff heard about it and informed the headmaster, Father Milroy. In the end, 11 boys would be summoned to see the head, outlining behaviour that they felt was inappropriate. This included, they claimed, incidents of kissing, stroking and hugging.

Paul Sheppard denied any wrong-doing but was told that, in light of the complaints, the school 'could not consider him staying'. It was mutually agreed that he would leave, with glowing references. It is understood that the police were not informed.

And so it was that he returned to Canada before embarking on a career that over the next 25 years would see him teach at institutions in far-flung corners of the world. Over that time, Ampleforth would find itself beset by numerous accusations of historic child abuse. Since 1996, three monks and a lay teacher have been convicted of sex offences against more than 30 pupils from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s.

In 1996, Father Bernard Green, 43, was given two years' probation and 50 hours of community service for the indecent assault of a pupil of 13.

In 2005, Father Gregory Carroll, 66, was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to abusing ten boys between 1979 and 1987. That same year, Father Piers Grant-Ferris got two years for 20 indecent assaults against 15 pupils at Ampleforth's prep school over a nine-year period.

Last year, former English teacher David Lowe, 61, was jailed for ten years for 15 sex offences against ten boys aged from eight to 13. Four victims came from Ampleforth, the rest from Westminster Cathedral Choir School.

But the catalyst for the investigation into Dr Sheppard would come in 2013 with the tragic suicide of former pupil James Glynn. Born to British parents living in Hong Kong, he was following in his father's footsteps when he joined Ampleforth in 1988. It was to prove a deeply unhappy experience.

'He wanted to do well and make his parents proud,' his elder sister Emma Glynn told me this week. 'He was very homesick and was bullied. We were very close, and I was very much aware of his unhappiness at school.'

After leaving the school at 18, James struggled to get on in life. He needed treatment for drug addiction and could not settle into a job.

On Boxing Day, 2006, he and Emma sat down for a heart-to-heart about where his life was heading.

'I said that a lot of people get bullied at school and go on to have very happy lives, and that is how the whole conversation started,' she said. 'I asked him if there was anything else holding him back.'

His sister says that James then claimed that at the age of 11 he had been sexually assaulted on more than one occasion at the school.

When she asked if it had been an older boy, he is said to have replied: 'No Em, it was Mr Sheppard.'

Although she would tell their father, a lawyer, of her brother's claims, James was adamant that he did not want to involve the authorities.

'He was in the middle of doing a Masters degree and things were relatively positive — we just didn't want to rock the boat,' she says.

But after James took his own life in 2013, the subject was raised at his funeral, which was attended by his contemporaries from Ampleforth.

They remembered Dr Sheppard well — and the circumstances of his departure from the school.

'It was the biggest thing that happened to us that year,' said one former pupil. 'It was a big scandal.'

The family contacted North Yorkshire police, who interviewed 11 former pupils. Eight described incidents of alleged 'inappropriate touching' by Dr Sheppard.

When, in December 2014, Dr Sheppard flew into Britain from Kuwait, where he was working, for a holiday, he was arrested at Heathrow on suspicion of serious sex offences against James Glynn.

However, he was never charged. The CPS ruled that since the case was 25 years old and the sole witness was dead, there was no realistic prospect of conviction.

However, it did decide there was a case for Dr Sheppard to answer over the alleged incidents involving James's former fellow pupils, and he was charged with four counts of indecent assault against three boys. By the opening day of his trial at York Crown Court last September, he faced seven indecent assault charges involving five former pupils.

But before a jury was sworn in, the judge ruled that the physical contact alleged by four of the five ex-pupils did not meet the legal definition of 'indecent'. They included allegations that the teacher had stroked and kissed an 11-year-old as he slept, and pinned another 11-year-old to the ground by his wrists while straddling him.

Mr Sheppard taught at the £33,000-a-year Ampleforth College (pictured) in North Yorkshire

Mr Sheppard taught at the £33,000-a-year Ampleforth College (pictured) in North Yorkshire

The ruling surprised police and prosecutors, who had argued that a jury might have decided that each of the original charges involved indecent contact in the context of a teacher-pupil relationship.

All four men have been left feeling cheated of the chance to have their claims heard in court.

The one former pupil whose claims were put to the jury was not one of the 11 boys summoned to the headmaster in 1989, so evidence presented to the jury was limited.

During the trial, the ex-pupil alleged that, aged ten, he was indecently assaulted by Dr Sheppard on two separate occasions in the school's buildings He claimed the assaults were as a 'punishment' for trivial misdemeanours.

Each time, the science teacher told him to take down his trousers or pyjamas and spanked him as well as touching him indecently, the former pupil claimed.

'I was very uncomfortable at the time,' he said in the witness box at York Crown Court. 'I was naked, it felt very unusual and very exposed.

'I think the fact I was touched made it even more uncomfortable.'

Under cross-examination, he said the indecent touching may have been accidental on the first occasion, but he believed that it was not.

At the end of the prosecution case, the judge told the jury to find Dr Sheppard not guilty of that charge as there was insufficient evidence.

In his defence, Dr Sheppard told the court he did not remember the alleged incident. He admitted punishing pupils in the same way that he was disciplined as a child — by spanking.

When he was asked about the assault and if he recognised the claimant, Dr Sheppard said his recollection was vague given it was more than two decades since he had last seen him.

'I don't remember doing this,' he said. 'I would never have asked them to remove their trousers or underpants.

'I accept it's possible that I could have administered corporal punishment, because I did when I was there. Ampleforth College had no policy as regards to it, but it was my understanding that it was in common use. I witnessed another member of staff doing it on another occasion.'

Among evidence given on his behalf was a character reference by Dr Allan Fradsham, a Canadian who had attended St John's School, a boarding school in Stony Plain, Alberta, where Dr Sheppard rose to be headmaster in 2000.

He said he had received corporal punishment from Dr Sheppard by being spanked with a wooden paddle. He said Dr Sheppard was a 'very good teacher, very fair' who followed the proper procedures in giving corporal punishment and never did anything improper or sexual towards pupils.

When Dr Sheppard was cleared by the jury of the one remaining charge, he wept with relief. It is understood he has since returned to Canada and attempts to contact him by this newspaper proved unsuccessful.

The pupil who gave evidence has since spoken out about how badly let down he feels.

'I agreed to give the police a statement about what happened to me to support what I thought was a much bigger prosecution,' he told The Times.

'Instead, I found myself in the witness box in a trial where the only charges related to me. I was told I mustn't make any reference to the other complainants and was not allowed to say why Sheppard suddenly vanished from the school.'

Other former pupils told the Mail that they accept that if a jury had heard all the facts they may still have cleared Dr Sheppard, but they said they would at least have felt justice had been served.

Now four new witnesses to alleged incidents involving Dr Sheppard have come forward.

Lisa Winward, North Yorkshire's Assistant Chief Constable, has said it was 'hugely disappointing' that not all of the allegations were heard in court. She says officers will investigate any new material.

That promise comes on top of the revelation yesterday that the force is also conducting a criminal investigation into the Right Rev Cuthbert Madden, the most senior figure at Ampleforth. He denies wrongdoing.

With regards to the allegations relating to Dr Sheppard, a spokesperson for Ampleforth College said that Father Milroy had properly investigated them at the time.

'These investigations did not yield allegations of sexual impropriety,' a statement said. 'Sheppard left at the end of July 1989 when his supply contract ended. The decision to leave was mutual. A reference supplied by the school at the time reflected his performance as a supply teacher during his short time at the school.'

The school, it said, had co-operated fully with police investigations.

An ex-pupil's suicide, a torrent of allegations and the haunting question

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