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Ex-Kennet School worker convicted College students of 10 historic counts on five boys show off their art
TEACHER GUILTY OF RAPE AND ASSAULT
A FORMER Thatcham schoolteacher has been found guilty of 10 sexual offences which included raping a boy aged under 14. Robert Neill, 63, of Park Lane, was convicted by unanimous jury at Reading Crown Court last Friday following a two week trial. It relates to when he worked as a teacher at Kennet School in Thatcham, with the offences PKY Valnetines16 5x27cm copy.pdf concerning five boys aged 13 or
By Adam Flinn
under between 1986 and 2002. The jury found him guilty of 10 counts including one count of rape of a boy under 16 years, and four counts of indecent assault on a male person under the age of 16. He was also convicted of two counts of indecency with a child under 14 years, one count of indecent assault on a male 2 02/02/2016 11:17:46 person aged 12 or 13 years old,
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and two counts of indecency with a child aged 12 or 13 years old. Case investigator Leigh Facey, of the Reading Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “This was a complex case spanning 16 years with the last offence occurring more than 13 years ago. “I would like to thank the victims for their bravery in coming forward and reliving what were horrible experiences. “I would also take this opportunity to say that Thames Val-
ley Police takes all offences of this kind extremely seriously, no matter how long ago they took place, and we can and we will successfully prosecute offenders.” Neill was fi rst charged in August 2014, and initially stood trial in May last year. However the trial collapsed on the fourth day, and was rearranged for January. He will be sentenced at Reading Crown Court on February 19.
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ART students from Newbury College have been hosting an exhibition of their work at Green Park Conference Centre for employers to vote on which pieces they would like to see permanently displayed there. Students taking part had been asked to produce work on the theme of ‘spring’ to brighten up the corridors of the Reading conference centre. Each year the college’s art students carry out a project that meets the needs of a local organisation, with the project aimed at developing their leadership, communi-
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cation and teamwork skills. Art lecturer Jackie Heggs said: “This creative project has given students an amazing opportunity to showcase their work whilst gaining invaluable employability skills in working to a real brief. “Students have really grown in confidence as a result of the experience and we hope that this project will become part of a cycle of opportunities to produce art work for the site.” • College student Matthew Barker with his artwork (picture courtesy of Green Park, Reading)