'Salford stallion' teacher jailed for sex with pupils

A teacher who called himself the "Salford stallion" has been jailed for having sex with under-age pupils.

Christopher Drake, 29, of Monton, worked as a PE teacher at a school in Atherton, Greater Manchester. He was later promoted to assistant head.

He slept with two girls from the age of 14 and another who was 16.

Drake admitted 18 counts of sexual activity with a child at an earlier hearing. He was jailed for six years at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

The teacher's affairs were uncovered on Valentine's Day last year, when two of his victims discovered he was seeing them at the same time.

Sentencing, Judge Timothy Mort told Drake he had received his "comeuppance in spectacular fashion" when the girls discovered he was two-timing them.

It emerged that Drake had been having sex with both his students since they were aged 14 and had also slept with a 16-year-old girl he taught at Hesketh Fletcher Church of England High School.

Judge Mort told him: "The critical factor is the age gap. You were 12 years older than them. That is a considerable age gap.

Slanging match

"You were a young man, quite immature, but there was a classic breach of trust in having relationships with pupils which you knew you should not be doing."

Drake had sex with one of the girls in the school sports hall and in his office, and had sexual encounters with the other in a pub car park and on a school trip.

On Monday, the court heard that a slanging match began when one of the girls went into Drake's property.

She threatened to call the police and ran outside to alert neighbours. Drake told her to "shut up, shut up" and tried to grab her and calm her down.

When police arrived, they found rose petals on the floor and balloons adorning the property.

'No excuses'

Officers seized Drake's mobile phone, which had recordings of both girls having sex with him.

The 16-year-old girl who slept with Drake near the end of the school term - before the other two relationships - said pupils were aware of Drake's self-styled nickname and that he had texted her in that name before they had sex.

Speaking after the hearing, Det Ch Insp Bill McGreavy said: "As a teacher, Drake was a role model to young people and held a position of trust.

"He breached the faith placed in him by the school, pupils and their parents in the most appalling way.

"There are no excuses whatsoever for his actions and I hope his victims and their families can move forward with their lives and try and put these events behind them now."

Drake also admitted sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust, and making and possessing indecent photographs of a child.

(Published by BBC - April 5, 2011)