A former teacher who sexually abused a pupil in Salford over a number of years has been jailed for 15 years.
Gary Day-Davies, 55, from Tyldesley, was sentenced after being found guilty of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault by touching a child.
The offences took place between 2006 and 2009 when the survivor was a pupil at a Salford school where Day-Davies taught.
The court heard that the abuse occurred both at the school and at Day-Davies’ home after he invited the child there for additional tuition. During those visits, he supplied the victim with drugs and alcohol before carrying out the abuse.
The survivor reported the offences to police in 2022, allowing detectives to launch a thorough investigation into the historic allegations.
Despite the evidence presented during the investigation and at trial, Day-Davies denied the offences throughout. He claimed the survivor “must have just held a bit of a grudge” against him.
Following a trial, a jury found him guilty on all counts.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the survivor described the relief she felt following the verdicts.
She said: “Since receiving the news of the guilty verdicts, I feel like an enormous weight was lifted off my shoulders. The emotional trauma bond that I have endured for the last 20 years has finally severed.
“I can eventually breathe and think for myself without constant fear of the consequences. I finally have justice – this is justice not for me as a child but now as an adult too.
“As much as the outcome gives me some form of closure, I have not fully processed the full extent of this situation yet. I know I have a long road ahead of me in terms of recovery and I am very much looking forward to see what the future looks like for me.”
Police praised the survivor’s courage in coming forward and reporting the abuse, which led to Day-Davies being brought before the courts and convicted of the offences.
Support is available for anyone affected by sexual abuse through specialist charities and support services.
