Paedophile former teacher Stephen John Hamra seeks ‘merciful’ sentence

A former teacher who repeatedly sexually abused two brothers has asked for a “merciful” sentence, despite having to be sentenced as a serious repeat offender, a court has heard.

Stephen John Hamra outside the District Court in 2017.

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A former teacher who repeatedly sexually abused two brothers has asked for a merciful sentence, despite having to be sentenced as a serious repeat offender, a court has heard.

Stephen John Hamra, 63, appeared in the District Court via video link from prison in Mt Gambier to hear submissions on sentencing for his persistent exploitation of a child and maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship of a child during the late 1970s to mid 1980s.

The court heard the offending against the youngest brother began when he was aged about 9 or 10, while the elder brother was aged between 13-17, making him a serious repeat offender.

Tim Preston, prosecuting, said the offending was a “gross breach of trust,” he said.

“This man invaded his way into a family and abused the children of that family,” he said.

“The offending has had a devastating affect on the victims and their mother.”

He said the offending had a “particularly devastating affect” on one of the brothers, who had been living in “turmoil” since the abuse.

The court head an offender convicted of two serious sexual offences against a child aged under 14 must be declared a serious repeat offender. When declared a serious repeat offender, the court must sentence an offender with a non-parole period no less than 4/5 of the head sentence.

Mark Griffin QC, for Hamra, said the offences occurred when his client “was still a young man” just out of his teacher training, and “does not represent a serious risk of reoffending”.

“He asks through me, that the sentence be as merciful as your honour can fashion in the circumstances, recognising … that there will be a very substantial non-parole period attached to whatever sentence is imposed,” he said.

“The offences are serious and clearly represent a breach of trust that he had with that family.”

Mr Griffin said Hamra, who was employed as a teacher at Christian Brothers College between 2007 and 2010, worked as a courier from 2012, after he was first arrested. Neither victim was a student at the school.

The court heard Hamra’s father was the City of West Torrens Mayor for 30 years, and both men were heavily involved in the West Adelaide Football Club.

Hamra will be sentenced in April.