Norfolk sex abuse teacher Mervyn Rush has sentence cut on appeal

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-29180546

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A former teacher jailed for 14 years for sexually abusing boys at a Norfolk school is to have his sentence cut by almost a year after winning a hearing at the Court of Appeal.

Mervyn Rush, 69, formerly of Dorking, Surrey, admitted 18 counts of abuse and was jailed in August last year.

Science teacher Rush carried out the offences between 1973 and 1977.

His sentence was cut after the court agreed his trial judge had failed to take into account time spend on remand.

Rush was charged in 1999 but disappeared in 2000 while awaiting trial and went on the run for 13 years.

He was detained by French police in May 2012 when he visited the British Embassy in Paris to collect a passport, and extradited in April 2013.

During his trial at Norwich Crown Court Rush pleaded guilty to seven counts of a serious sexual offence and 11 of indecent assault against 12 boys. His oldest victims were aged 12.

Judge Stephen Holt sentenced him to 14 years in jail.

At the Court of Appeal earlier, three judges agreed Judge Holt had been wrong not to take into account the 365 days Rush spent on remand in France.