John Vincent Lewis fails to get his prison sentence reduced

A former primary school teacher, who sexually abused his students, often in front of the classroom, has failed in his bid to have his prison sentence reduced.

A Maryborough teacher who sexually abused his students has failed to have his prison sentence reduced.

John Vincent Lewis, 79, pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent dealing in relation to three women who were taught by him when they were nine and 10 years old.

He had previously served time in jail for similar offences on three occasions, including in 1986, 2017 and 2019, as victims reported him for sexual abuse.

Then, in 2020, three more women came forward, bringing his total number of victims to 20.

But in the wake of the sentence in February 2022, Lewis appealed the 18-month prison sentence (to be released after three months) handed down in Hervey Bay District Court.

This week, the Supreme Court of Queensland returned its decision: leave to appeal was refused and Lewis will have to serve the remainder of his sentence.

John Vincent Lewis (right) with his lawyer outside Hervey Bay District Court.

According to court documents, three grounds for appeal were argued.

They included the argument that the sentencing judge had erred in finding an accumulation (sentences on top of one another) and that the circumstances were not “exceptional”.

It was also argued the sentencing judge erred by failing to properly apply the principles of totality and that the sentence was manifestly excessive in the circumstances.

In the most recent sentencing, the three women read victim impact statements to the court, telling of how Lewis had repeatedly brought them to the front of the classroom and molested them in front of their schoolmates, touching their breasts and genitalia.

Lewis has faced a total of 37 charges in relation to the 20 victims since he was first brought before the courts in 1986.

His guilty plea in 1986 resulted in him spending four months in jail and ended his teaching career.

But further offending was uncovered during a Royal Commission into child sex offences, resulting in the prosecutions in 2017 and 2019.

John Vincent Lewis hunched over outside Hervey Bay District Court.

In response to the claim that the time spent in custody was “manifestly excessive”, the court heard that Lewis was only required to serve a period of 14 months in actual custody for his offending, after being convicted of 37 indecent dealing offences relating to 20 complainants over a 12 year period between 1974 and 1986.

“While the applicant had, at the time of sentence, served three separate periods of actual custody, there was no error in the sentencing judge’s conclusion that that circumstance, allowing for the applicant’s early pleas of guilty, co-operation, rehabilitation in the context of substantial delay and long period of non-offending, did not amount to exceptional circumstances warranting a sentence that did not require the applicant to serve further time in custody,” a submission made to the Supreme Court read.

The court found that it had not been established that a specific error had been committed or that the sentence imposed was manifestly excessive in the circumstances.

Leave to appeal was refused.