Camberwell Grammar teacher Trevor Spurritt acquitted of sex abuse

A former maths teacher jailed for sexually abusing students at a prestigious Melbourne school was sensationally acquitted.

Trevor Spurritt. Picture: AAP

A former maths teacher jailed for sexually abusing students at a prestigious Melbourne school more than 50 years ago will walk free from prison after he was sensationally acquitted of all charges.

Trevor Spurritt, a former Camberwell Grammar School teacher, had his minimum three-year sentence set aside and his convictions quashed on Friday after the Court of Appeal ruled the jury’s verdict was “unsafe”.

Spurritt was found guilty in September 2019 of nine counts of indecent assault dating back to the 1970s against four boys, after a trial in the Victorian County Court.

The 76-year-old was a maths teacher at the elite private school at which he was accused of assaulting the children, who were aged 12 to 14 at the time.

One alleged victim was about 12 when he claimed he was first allegedly molested at a school camp.

Camberwell Grammar School.

In sentencing Spurritt to a maximum five years and eight months’ jail, Judge Patricia Riddell labelled the offending as “brazen and predatory”.

“At times it was subtle and manipulative, adding to the confusion for the victim. These were acts of power and control over innocent children,” Judge Riddell said.

But in their written reasons, Justices Beach, Kaye and Niall ruled the trial verdict was unreasonable as the jurors could not be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt of Spurritt’s guilt.

The court said the evidence of one complainant was “quite problematic” and his account of the alleged incidents of indecent assault were “highly improbable”.

In quashing Spurritt’s convictions, the court found there were a number of issues, including contradicting accounts between witnesses, which “significantly affected the credibility and reliability of the evidence”.

In quashing all nine convictions, the court ruled against ordering a retrial, saying Spurritt had already served almost 12 months in prison.