Court of Appeal rejects Kadina Memorial School teacher Thomas Robert Ackland’s challenge to 14-year child sex abuse prison term

A pedophile teacher who complained his sentence was too harsh has failed in his appeal – but succeeded in setting a new punishment precedent for the crime.

A former teacher who claimed 14 years’ jail was too harsh a penalty for abusing 11 of his students has been rejected, by the state’s highest court, after just 10 minutes’ deliberation.

Thomas Robert Ackland’s victims and their parents looked on as the Court of Appeal this week threw out his challenge to his “manifestly excessive” prison term.

After an hour of legal argument and a 10-minute adjournment, Acting Chief Justice Mark Livesey, Justice Sam Doyle and Justice Chris Bleby unanimously dismissed the appeal.

Their decision protects the precedent set by Ackland’s sentence – ensuring future sex offenders will face hefty prison terms – and delighted his victims.

Former Yorke Peninsula schoolteacher Thomas Robert Ackland will serve his full 14-year child sex abuse sentence. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

The former student known as “Dennis”, who has filed a $500,000 lawsuit against the state government over his abuse, welcomed the court’s ruling.

“Ackland was jailed for much longer than I’d expected, so I fully expected the court to side with him and impose a reduced sentence of some sort,” he said.

“I feel elated and relieved … this is going to be really positive going forward, setting a precedent for future cases of its kind.”

The Kadina Memorial school staffer who first alerted SA Police to Ackland’s crimes – and whose son was also a victim – agreed.

“Both sides (prosecution and defence) spoke for approximately an hour, then the three judges left the courtroom and returned 10 minutes later to say the appeal is dismissed,” she said.

“We are beyond happy and relieved.”

Ackland, 32, will now serve his full 14-year prison term, having pleaded guilty to 14 offences committed against the 11 students.

In court, Ackland’s victims labelled him “abhorrent”, “a monster” and “malicious”.

He apologised, from the dock, for any harm he “may have caused” them – while also insisting he is not a pedophile.

Ackland’s appeal was rejected after just 10 minutes’ deliberation by the court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

In December, The Advertiser revealed Dennis was suing the state government, alleging the school knew Ackland was grooming children seven months before his arrest.

He further alleges the school neither stopped nor fired Ackland, and the state government was therefore negligent about and vicariously liable for his crimes.

In January, Dennis – who was 14 when the abuse began – said he “wouldn’t have been abused, and it wouldn’t have shaped my life in the way it has”, had the school acted.

That same month, the whistleblower alleged the school told staff to “shut down” children or parents talking about Ackland’s crimes.

On Friday, Dennis said the appeal judgment had finally released him from the burden placed upon him, by Ackland, when the abuse started in 2019.

“I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” he said.

“I hope that, in the future, this means pedophiles will go to jail for longer periods of time.”