EDWARD BEETHAM SHOCKS PRESTWICH AND SALFORD WITH DECADES-LONG SEXUAL ABUSE REVELATION

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Prestwich and Salford, Edward Beetham, a former educator with an otherwise unblemished reputation, has been brought to justice nearly 25 years after his disturbing actions first came to light. The revelation was prompted by the ongoing investigations into sex crimes associated with the late DJ Jimmy Savile, which encouraged the victim to finally come forward and speak out about the abuse he endured.

Back in the early 1990s, Beetham, who was then serving as a head of year at Buile Hill High School in Salford, managed to gain the trust of a vulnerable eleven-year-old boy. The court heard that Beetham, at the age of 38 at the time, engaged the young student in a bizarre and inappropriate sexual game that involved physical violence. According to court proceedings, Beetham stripped down to his underpants, lay on his bed, and persuaded the bewildered boy to beat him on his private parts with a piece of bamboo cane.

Edward Beetham, now aged 60 and residing on Sunny Drive in Prestwich, was ultimately convicted of indecency with a child. He was spared imprisonment but received a community order that requires him to participate in a sex offenders’ programme. The judge, Patrick Field QC, emphasized that although the breach of trust was significant, the incident was deemed an isolated event and not among the most severe of its kind. The court acknowledged the devastating impact this revelation has had on Beetham’s life, noting that he has gone from being a respected, genteel retired schoolteacher who enjoyed hobbies such as petanque, to someone under strict supervision by authorities.

During the court proceedings, Stuart Duke, representing Beetham, expressed the profound personal toll the case has taken. “He has lost his good character. He has gone from being a genteel, retired schoolteacher playing petanque to somebody who will be monitored by the authorities — it has been absolutely devastating for this to come back and haunt him,” Duke stated.

Prosecutor Philip Curran detailed the victim’s background, explaining that the boy lacked a father figure and looked up to Beetham as a strict, no-nonsense authority figure who was supposed to protect him from bullying. Beetham’s role extended beyond the classroom, as he was also involved in running an after-school gardening project, which led to the boy visiting his home. Court documents reveal that on one occasion, the teacher and the boy were in a greenhouse at Beetham’s residence when the teacher asked the boy to find a “chunky bamboo garden cane” and told him, “if I’m bad you can cane me upstairs in my bedroom.”

Describing the incident, Mr. Curran explained that Beetham lay down on his bed in a star shape, naked except for his white shorts, and encouraged the boy to whip him with the garden cane. After the act, Beetham offered the boy chocolate cookies as a reward. The court also heard of another disturbing incident where the boy was encouraged to shoot Beetham with a GAT gun. Although no other formal complaints have been made, the victim recalled another pupil asking him whether Beetham had already convinced him to whip him.

Beetham was arrested in February of the previous year, following the victim’s decision to speak out after the sex crimes inquiry into Jimmy Savile. The court’s sentencing reflected the gravity of the case, with Judge Patrick Field QC imposing a two-year community order and mandating Beetham’s attendance at a sex offenders’ programme. The judge acknowledged that, despite the breach of trust, the incident was an isolated one and not among the worst of its kind. He also took into account Beetham’s conduct as a teacher prior to this incident, which was considered to be exemplary.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Field stated, “You developed and encouraged a relationship with (the victim) — this appears to me, at least in part, grooming behaviour, enabling you to lure him into your bedroom where you invited an undoubtedly bewildered child to beat you for your own sexual gratification.” The case has left a lasting scar on the community of Prestwich and Salford, raising questions about safeguarding and the long-term impact of abuse by trusted authority figures.