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| Greggs bakery heir Colin Gregg jailed for abusing boys | Greggs bakery heir Colin Gregg jailed for abusing boys |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The heir to the Greggs bakery chain has been jailed for 13-and-a-half years for a string of sex offences against boys. | The heir to the Greggs bakery chain has been jailed for 13-and-a-half years for a string of sex offences against boys. |
| Colin Gregg, 75, from Gosforth, Newcastle, had denied nine counts of indecently assaulting four boys aged between 10 and 14. | Colin Gregg, 75, from Gosforth, Newcastle, had denied nine counts of indecently assaulting four boys aged between 10 and 14. |
| He was found guilty by a jury at Leeds Crown Court on 3 March after a trial lasting almost a month. | He was found guilty by a jury at Leeds Crown Court on 3 March after a trial lasting almost a month. |
| Judge Robin Mairs branded him a "sophisticated, predatory paedophile" who abused his position of trust. | |
| Gregg had "enjoyed great wealth, privilege and social standing" and used that as "a cloak of respectability", he said. | |
| "You were a charismatic, inspiring teacher and mentor but you used those attributes to groom boys and to protect yourself from allegations," he told him. | |
| Gregg claimed to be the victim of a "police witch hunt" and said the complainants were looking for compensation. | |
| The assaults began in 1963 and continued over a period of almost thirty years, during which Gregg was a teacher. | |
| He abused one child in a swimming pool and others were molested in a gym, his study or a car. | |
| The son of the founder of the Greggs bakery chain had been head teacher at The King's School Junior School, in Tynemouth, and also taught at Durham School. | |
| He was sent for retrial at Leeds after a jury in Newcastle failed to reach a verdict last year. | |
| A spokesman for the children's charity the NSPCC said the case "gives hope to survivors of child abuse that they will be listened to if they speak out". | |
| "Gregg's victims have shown incredible bravery in reliving their ordeals and it's these actions that have helped bring their attacker to justice," he said. |