Teacher jailed for 11yrs af ter raping ‘troubled’ pupils
A MUSIC teacher has been jailed for 11 years after a campaign of rape, abuse and grooming against six female pupils.
Matthew Birch classed girls as ‘fair game’ and targeted victims at secondary schools in Lanarkshire and Fife.
The 45-year-old former police officer had initially been described as a ‘fun teacher’ and a ‘father figure’, but jurors heard how he targeted girls who had musical talent, but often had personal problems. He had previously been found guilty of nine charges including rape and engaging in sexual activity while in a position of trust between 2006 and 2017.
Sentencing him at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday, Judge William Gallacher told him: ‘You have been convicted of a series of dreadful crimes amounting to grooming, manipulation and abuse of girls of whom you were in a position of trust. On the pretext of supporting them, you brought them under your influence.’
He added he had to take account of the ‘past, current and enduring impact’ of Birch’s conduct on his victims.
Jurors heard how he had joined a Lanarkshire school in 2006, where he referred to one girl as ‘fair game’ in a text and wanted to teach sex education as he was ‘so good at sex’. He claimed to be a part-time photographer and suggested taking pictures of the girl to boost her self-esteem.
But Birch instead went to her home and raped the teenager having handcuffed her. He also had underage sex with a second girl, at his then home in Edinburgh, and filmed it.
Jurors heard of further sexual activity with the second girl in a cupboard at school.
He later said he ‘could not do it any more’ as he was going to propose to his girlfriend, but more girls were subjected to seedy comments or molested.
The abuse went unnoticed and Birch moved to a school in Fife, where he targeted his final victim, a talented singer. She was ‘emotionally dependent’ on the music department but the teacher raped her at
‘Prey conforms to certain type’
his home in Falkirk, and near a cricket pitch in Fife.
The girl reported the attacks to a principal teacher in 2018. Prosecutor Erin Campbell told jurors: ‘She was not believed.’
After hearing nothing, the victim returned in 2019 to the school and spoke to a head teacher, and police were called. Miss Campbell said if the final victim had not returned with her complaint, Birch might still be teacher.
Miss Campbell added: ‘[Birch] is a predator... his prey conforms to a particular type, girls aged 14-17, musical talent, troubled lives and difficulties at home.’
Gordon Martin, defending, said married Birch maintained his innocence and he intended to appeal.