NESTON AND WALLESEY TEACHER STEPHEN DICKMAN JAILED FOR ABUSE IN WIRRAL

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Wirral community, Stephen Dickman, a teacher from Neston with connections to Wallasey, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison after a Liverpool Crown Court jury found him guilty of multiple counts of indecent assault. The offences, which spanned from 1990 to 1992, involved a 14-year-old girl who was a pupil at the school where Dickman was employed as a languages teacher.

At the time of the allegations coming to light, Dickman was still actively working at the school, a fact that added to the gravity of the case. As the jury delivered their unanimous verdicts, Dickman, aged 58, was seen shaking his head in apparent disbelief or remorse. The court heard that he had taken advantage of his position of trust, exploiting his role as an educator to commit these serious offences.

Judge Mr. Justice Calvert-Smith, presiding over the case, addressed the court and emphasized the breach of trust involved. He stated, “The offences represent a gross breach of trust by a school teacher in respect of one of his pupils. Those who use the schools system and the community at large are entitled to expect that school teachers entrusted with the care of our children during the school day will treat them with appropriate care and not abuse that trust.”

He further noted that Dickman, who had no prior convictions, had succumbed to temptation only once in his life, and this was the only time he had engaged in such misconduct. As part of his sentence, Dickman was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely and was permanently banned from working with children, reflecting the court’s concern for public safety.

Supporters of Dickman, present in the courtroom, were visibly distressed, with several breaking down in tears as the verdicts and sentence were announced. The case also involved another individual, Graham Stothard, a fellow teacher, former Wirral magistrate, and councillor, who was accused of being involved in the same offences. However, Stothard, aged 53 and a former Labour representative for Ellesmere Port, was found not guilty of two charges of indecent assault. He currently resides in Lagos, Nigeria, and had flown into the UK for the trial, denying any involvement or meeting with the victim.

During the week-long trial, prosecutor David Owen revealed that Dickman had kissed the girl after she confided in him about her feelings when she was 14. A sexual relationship, which involved everything but intercourse, developed over time until the day before her 16th birthday. The victim, now a married woman in her mid-30s, came forward only after viewing a television programme about sexual abuse, which prompted her to speak out about her experiences.

The judge commented that Dickman was “fortunate” that the victim appeared to have somewhat moved past what he had done to her. Defense lawyer Peter Davies acknowledged that the conviction would effectively end Dickman’s career, emphasizing that there had been no allegations of misconduct since 1992 and that he had been generally regarded as a highly respected teacher prior to these events.