Paedophile ex-teacher Neil Futcher launches appeal against his conviction and sentence through Legal Aid
PAEDOPHILE Neil Futcher ’s victims are furious that the former Trinity Grammar School teacher’s appeal against his conviction and sentence over a series of sickening sexual assaults on them as boys is being funded from the public purse.
NSW
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A PAEDOPHILE teacher who has been granted Legal Aid for his appeal gave away his share in a Sydney Harbourside home just days before his conviction.
Former Trinity Grammar School teacher Neil Futcher’s victims are furious that his appeal against his conviction and sentence over a series of sickening sexual assaults on them as boys is being funded from the public purse.
Victim Rob Anderson, now 55, has accused his former teacher Futcher, 69, of hiding his wealth.
“You shouldn’t be allowed to move your assets so close to being convicted and then be able to claim Legal Aid,” Mr Anderson said. “It’s disgusting.”
Futcher was convicted on September 14, 2016, on 22 charges of sexually abusing six boys as young as 11 between 1974 and 1981. He was jailed for 18 years, with a minimum term of 11 years.
He has since lodged an appeal in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal.
Documents reveal that on September 7, 2016, Futcher transferred his share — valued at $562,500 — of a Harbourside Drummoyne unit to his brother Geoffrey.
There is no suggestion Geoffrey Futcher has done anything wrong.
Mr Futcher said no money had changed hands and his brother had given him the unit.
“(Neil) hasn’t got half a million dollars in the bank,” Mr Futcher said.
“He’s got nothing. Anyone can sell or give half their unit to anyone at any time. He got no cash from me.”
A similar-sized unit in the same block sold in November 2016 for $1.3 million.
Mr Futcher said his brother was innocent.
Mr Anderson, who has consented to his identity being revealed, had first gone to police in 1990 but it was his evidence to the child sex abuse royal commission that led to Neil Futcher being charged.
Four victims were pupils at Trinity Grammar at Summer Hill, and are suing the school for compensation in the Supreme Court, while others were taught swimming by Futcher in Pymble.
Futcher previously taught at Sydney Grammar School and was also boarding master at Knox Grammar.
Jailing Futcher last year, District Court Judge Jennie Girdham said he had been “predatory, systematic, corrupting, sustained” and had shown no remorse. She said he was “distorted” when he referenced in his evidence other cultures in which child sex was considered acceptable. He had said teaching masturbation was “educational”.
Legal Aid NSW declined to comment on the appeal funding, saying it was “bound by law not to comment publicly on whether an individual receives funding”.