Victims of a paedophile chemistry teacher who sexually abused boys at a high school in the 1970s have received more than £80,000 in damages from the local council.
Michael Wilde, now 71, abused multiple boys during lessons at Wade Deacon High School in Widnes over a period of several years during the 1970s.
The former chemistry teacher, a married father of three, has been jailed four times over the past five years for indecently assaulting boys as young as 12 leaving them with lasting psychological damage and, in one case, chronic bladder problems.
But as well as seeing Wilde himself jailed, the revelation of his crimes has led to Halton Council paying £83,347 in compensation to six of his victims.
Details obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show the council made six separate payments to Wilde’s victims between 2016 and 2020, ranging from £1,050 to £30,000 in damages.
On top of this, the council was required to pay for both its own legal costs and those of Wilde’s victims, bringing its total bill to just under £130,000. It is understood that Wilde has also paid damages to some of his victims.
The investigation into Wilde’s abuse began in 2014 when two former Wade Deacon pupils came forward to police independently.
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A year later, in September 2015, Wilde admitted sexually assaulting the two boys, who had been aged under 14 at the time of the abuse, and was jailed for two years.
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Karen Kendrick said: “I’d like to praise both victims for their bravery in coming forward after all this time and having the courage to see this through to a conviction.
“We provided them with help and support throughout, as no matter how long ago the crimes took place, it still has a devastating and lasting effect.”
A spokesperson for the school added: “Our thoughts are with the victims and those affected. We hope that the justice served will help them to move on from this historical case.
“We have worked closely with the relevant authorities during the inquiry, and all appropriate current safeguarding measures are in place.”
More allegations followed and Wilde was sentenced to another 12 months in prison in October 2016 while still serving his first sentence.
The 2016 case saw him plead guilty to 10 counts of indecent assault on a boy aged under 14, which prosecutors said related to three different victims.
The three victims all came forward following publicity of the first trial, with one alleging Wilde had abused him “on about 40 occasions” during cricket practice.
Two further prosecutions followed in 2019 and 2020. The first saw Wilde sentenced to another six months in jail in April 2019 after he admitted four more counts of indecent assault on a boy aged under 14, including groping his victim during lessons.
In this case, the court heard that the victim still had nightmares about Wilde and described seeing the teacher’s “leering smile” when male colleagues tried to help him.
Wilde was jailed for a fourth time in February this year after he admitted molesting another pupil on three occasions.
The victim, who only discovered Wilde's abuse of other boys when a taxi driver mentioned it as they drove past the Widnes school, kept his secret for decades before disclosing it to his brother and wife.
In a victim impact statement, he described how the abuse had particularly impacted on his bladder, leaving him with problems urinating.
He continues to work "in close proximity to a toilet," and particularly struggles with "bullying" men in positions of authority.
The victim said the abuse left him with low self-esteem, loneliness, sleep difficulties, stomach aches and nightmares of "someone being in the room, ready to pounce."
Wilde was jailed for another 12 months, bringing his total combined sentence to four years and six months.
Halton Council was contacted for comment for this story.
