CLIVE GILFELLON'S SHOCKING SEX SCANDAL IN STANLEY AND CO DURHAM

In February 1994, a disturbing case emerged involving Clive Gilfellon, a 50-year-old art teacher from Stanley, who was sentenced to nine months in prison after being found guilty of engaging in unlawful sexual activities with a 14-year-old student.

Judge Angus Stroyan presided over the case at Newcastle Crown Court, where he delivered a stern judgment, emphasizing that Gilfellon had betrayed the fundamental trust placed in educators by parents and the community. The judge described Gilfellon’s actions as both systematic and deliberate, highlighting the severity of his breach of professional and moral boundaries.

The court heard that Gilfellon, a father of two, had initiated the inappropriate relationship when the girl was only 13 years old. Gilfellon admitted to two charges of unlawful intercourse, acknowledging the nature of their relationship. Evidence presented during the trial revealed that the attraction between the teacher and student developed through flirtatious exchanges during private moments, which eventually escalated.

It was revealed that Gilfellon first kissed the girl in a classroom setting in May 1992. The relationship then intensified during a school trip to Germany two months later, where they engaged in heavy petting while Gilfellon’s wife, Denise, aged 49, was in the next room. Following their return to the UK, the pair continued to meet clandestinely, often in Gilfellon’s car parked in lay-bys and remote country roads within County Durham.

The illicit affair extended into Gilfellon’s home at Tow Law, near Stanley, where they continued their sexual encounters. The investigation into the teacher’s conduct was triggered by rumors circulating at the school, which prompted authorities to look into the matter.

Detectives uncovered that the girl documented their sexual sessions in her diary, providing crucial evidence that contributed to Gilfellon’s arrest. Following his apprehension, Gilfellon resigned from his teaching position. The case has left the local community in shock, raising questions about safeguarding and the vetting processes within the educational system in the Stanley and County Durham areas.