Malcolm Winston Day jailed until two days before his 93rd birthday for sex crimes against two music students in the 1980s

A music teacher who destroyed the lives of two innocent girls and lied about it for four decades has been told his prison sentence could last until he’s 100 years old.

Malcolm Winston Day has enjoyed an excellent reputation as a teacher, musician and family man for just one reason – he is a liar.

Investigated in the 1980s for child sex crimes, Day falsely denied all responsibility and damned his victim to a lifetime of scorn, isolation and trauma.

On Friday, that victim – now a grown woman – finally received justice when the District Court jailed Day for 20 years.

Judge Jo-Anne Deuter imposed a 14-year non-parole period - Day will have to live until September 25, 2034, or two days before his 93rd birthday, to be eligible to seek release on parole.

“You presented to the world as a respected music teacher, upstanding citizen and family man – however this was a charade based on a lifetime of lies,” she said.

“The opportunity was presented to you very early on to admit your guilt but, rather than doing so, you denied your offending and your victim was not believed.

“You were able to move on with your life, and did so … your selfish and disgraceful conduct changed your victim’s life … you poisoned her life for your own pleasure.”

Malcolm Winston Day. Picture: Sean Fewster.

Day still has six years left to serve in his 12-year prison term for near-identical offending against another woman.

Both she and the first victim were music students in the 1980s – Day was their teacher.

Earlier this month, his counsel conceded Day would likely die in jail as a result of having a second sentence imposed on top of his existing term.

On Friday, Judge Deuter said Day had exploited his student’s longing for love and attention, preying upon her dysfunctional home life to groom her for sex.

He had, has a result, destroyed both her passion for music and promising talent in the field.

She said his “completely wrong and abhorrent” crimes had been “swept under the carpet” for decades because the Education Department had believed his lies.

“Considerable damage was done to your victim by your offending and also by your conduct at the Education Department tribunal,” she said.

“She has carried through her life the crushing burden of pain, distrust and your lies for 40 years.”

Judge Deuter noted Day had written a letter of apology but dismissed it as lacking insight into the true impact of his offending.

She added 8 ½ years to his existing prison term, and six years to his non-parole period.