Peter Holmes: Retired teacher who sexually abused pupils is caught in Bristol and jailed

A retired English teacher and school rugby club has been jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing pupils - after he was tracked down to his new address in Bristol having avoided investigation living in Taiwan.

Peter Andrew Holmes was traced to his King Street home by detectives at North Yorkshire Police after fresh complaints were made about him in late 2018.

The 73-year-old was subsequently charged, but failed to appear at court in Bristol. He was then arrested to face trial in Yorkshire. The trial heard how he sexually abused 19 pupils at a former independent school called Malsis School in the Craven area in the 1970s and 1990s.

On Friday (September 16), he was jailed after being found guilty of 28 offences against the victims - including multiple counts of indecent assaults and indecency with a child - at Bradford Crown Court.

As well as going to prison, Holmes has also been placed on the Register of Sex Offenders and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the rest of his life.

Detective Constable Alison Morris was the person who managed to track Holmves down to his Bristol address, and interview, after the string of new complaints, which enabled the whole investigation to reopen.

Complaints initially came to light in the 1990s, but because Holmes had moved to Taiwan, the investigation could not be pursued at that time.

Det Con Morris said: “It has been proved that Peter Andrew Holmes is a systematic child abuser who used his position of authority as a teacher to prey on the victims who have bravely pursued justice against him.

“His reign of abuse at Malsis School spanned three decades. He has caused an enormous amount of trauma for the victims which they have endured from childhood through to the present day.

“I truly hope the conclusion of this case, with Holmes finally brought to justice and serving a significant prison sentence, they can begin to look to a future with hope and happiness in their lives.”