The jury has gone out in the trial of a former assistant head at Falmouth School accused of grooming pupils in his care.

Terence Burke, formerly of Penryn but now living in Swindon, has been on trial at Truro Crown Court since the beginning of last week.

The 74-year-old is charged with a range of sexual offences against girls under 16, including four charges of incitement to commit an act of gross indecency, five charges of indecent assault, two charges of sex with a girl under 16, three charges of sexual activity with a girl under 16, abusing a position of trust and two charges of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity whilst in a position of trust.

Sending the jury in the trial out at lunchtime today Mr Justice Saini told them that he expected a unanimous verdict.

Yesterday in her summing up the prosecution barrister told the jury that despite a long and illustrious career that had undoubtedly transformed young peoples’ lives he had become a predator.

She said that Burke was flattered by the attention from the first pupil he is accused with having underage sex with when she emailed him saying she fancied him.

The prosecution say he succumbed to her ‘crush’ and in the weeks running up to her 16th birthday they did everything but have full sex. Something Burke denies. He admits having sex with her but not until after her 16th birthday which led to a four and half year affair.

The prosecution claim “He couldn’t believe his luck” when this “affair” ended.

They said this enabled him to continue grooming his second victim. The prosecution says he had sex with her in the back of his car, in hotels and in his house.

They said this happened when he was supposed to be helping her with problems at school. He claims she is lying.

He is then accused, although not charged, of attempting to groom another underage girl at the school asking her for a kiss and a hug.

The prosecution say it only ended when she told her friends and her mother found out and the police became involved. Despite a police investigation no action was taken but Burke retired from the school rather than face potential disciplinary action.

The new investigation started after one of his alleged victims went to the police.

The prosecution said despite the girls not knowing each other they all described similar behaviour in how he operated. Places he took them for sex, including hotels, the Bissoe Trail and Mabe Church car park. Sending them hundreds of texts, monetary gifts and even his preferred sexual position.

“Giving lifts in the car, walks on the beach. Getting her used to texting him, getting them used to receiving gifts. He tests the words ‘Can I have a hug?’ ‘Can I have a kiss?’,” she said.

She added: “This is a man of deep dishonesty and deep deception. A man who had a positive effect on many, many thousands of students, but for three young girls this was not the case.”

Burke’s defence barrister in his summing up today admitted that it was inappropriate that his client was having sex with a 16-year-old and sending text messages to another girl under 16 saying he loved her, but it wasn’t illegal.

He said the first girl was infatuated with him and even had posters of him on her wall alongside Richard Gere but she is mistaken as to the date when she first had sex with Burke which wasn’t until after her 16th birthday.

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He said that the second girl was lying about the relationship to get attention.

He suggested the alleged victims may have colluded with each other over the evidence they gave despite there being no evidence they had done this or even knew each other.

He said Burke’s alleged second victim had been proved wrong with some of the dates in her evidence and was a fantasist seeking attention.

“Some of you no doubt heard some pretty awful things about Terry Burke,” he said. “About the way he treated a young woman kept on a hook, wasting the best years of her life when she expected to be forming relationships. The way he treated his wife. The way he treated [another girl] later on, it is scarcely in dispute let’s face it.

“This is not a case where if you find him not guilty you will happily, I suspect, but that’s not what it’s about.”

The hearing continues while the jury reaches a verdict.