Teacher who raped a pupil jailed after 20 years

A teacher who raped and sexually assaulted one of his pupils both at the school where he taught and at his home has been jailed for 15 years.

Gary Day-Davies, from Swinton in Greater Manchester, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday for three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of sexual assault by touching of a child.

Day-Davies, now 55, committed the offences between 2006 and 2009 against a girl who was a student at the school in Salford where he taught.

The victim, who reported the abuse to police in 2022, said: "I feel like an enormous weight was lifted off my shoulders. The emotional trauma bond that I have endured for the last 20 years has finally severed."

Day-Davies abused his victim both at school and at his home, after he invited her to his house for additional tuition.

He plied the schoolgirl with drugs and alcohol before sexually abusing her.

Throughout the investigation, Day-Davies denied the offences and at trial provided little explanation as to why they were brought against him.

He claimed she "must have just held a bit of a grudge" against him.

In a victim impact statement, she said: "I can eventually breathe and think for myself without constant fear of the consequences.

"I finally have justice - this is justice not for me as a child but now as an adult too.

"As much as the outcome gives me some form of closure, I have not fully processed the full extent of this situation yet.

"I know I have a long road ahead of me in terms of recovery and I am very much looking forward to see what the future looks like for me."

Insp Dave Ogden, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "Day-Davies took advantage of the young age of the survivor to invite her to his home and sexually abuse her.

"He further sexually abused the survivor in the library and store cupboard in a classroom.

"Time is no barrier when it comes to being sexually abused - no matter how long ago it was, or how old you were at the time, we will listen to you."

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