Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
National
Miklos Bolza

Ex-Catholic teacher dies before child abuse sentencing

A former Catholic school teacher who sexually abused students has died before he could be sentenced. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

Just over a month after being found guilty of sexually abusing his students through crimes dating back 65 years, a former Catholic teacher has died.

Peter Mervyn Samuel passed away on Christmas Day.

He was due to face a sentence hearing in Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on March 8 over the historical child sex offences.

At a jury trial in November, prosecutors said he had abused three boys between 10 and 13 years old between 1958 and 1972.

The assaults took place while Samuel was teaching year-six classes at two Patrician Brothers' College campuses in Blacktown and Granville, and Marist Brothers Primary School in Mosman.

Samuel, who was in his mid-90s at the time, fought the allegations.

However on November 14, jurors found him guilty of eight counts of indecent assault on a male.

He was found not guilty of one count of buggery.

At the trial, jurors heard Samuel had pleaded guilty in 1999 to indecently assaulting another boy in 1972 in similar circumstances to the more recent allegations he faced.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.