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| Michael Brewer's victim told how much-loved teacher became abuser | Michael Brewer's victim told how much-loved teacher became abuser |
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| It was Michael Brewer who helped Frances Andrade win a place at Chetham's school of music. She was Fran Shorney then, a vivacious and bubbly 13-year-old who had only been learning violin for a year or two, a novice compared with the other applicants. But her raw talent was so startling that the interview panel, including Brewer, decided to take a punt on the wild-haired teenager from Cheltenham. | It was Michael Brewer who helped Frances Andrade win a place at Chetham's school of music. She was Fran Shorney then, a vivacious and bubbly 13-year-old who had only been learning violin for a year or two, a novice compared with the other applicants. But her raw talent was so startling that the interview panel, including Brewer, decided to take a punt on the wild-haired teenager from Cheltenham. |
| Giving evidence against Brewer, who was convicted on Friday of indecently assaulting her as a student, Andrade told the jury how much she enjoyed Chetham's when she joined in 1978. It was a "hothouse with a competitive atmosphere", she said, but she enjoyed interacting with such creative and unusual people. | Giving evidence against Brewer, who was convicted on Friday of indecently assaulting her as a student, Andrade told the jury how much she enjoyed Chetham's when she joined in 1978. It was a "hothouse with a competitive atmosphere", she said, but she enjoyed interacting with such creative and unusual people. |
| She liked Brewer very much, the court heard. He was "hilarious" with a "lewd" sense of humour that could sometimes go "below the belt". He let the pupils call him Mike. She detected a certain immaturity, a sense of neediness, about him. | She liked Brewer very much, the court heard. He was "hilarious" with a "lewd" sense of humour that could sometimes go "below the belt". He let the pupils call him Mike. She detected a certain immaturity, a sense of neediness, about him. |
| Andrade gained a reputation as a strident young woman who would think nothing of telling a conductor he was below par. But under the self-assured exterior was a damaged soul. In court she said she had been abused by an uncle from the age of eight – abuse which continued to her wedding day in 1988, when she claimed the uncle squeezed her breast and whispered: "Remember I was there first." | Andrade gained a reputation as a strident young woman who would think nothing of telling a conductor he was below par. But under the self-assured exterior was a damaged soul. In court she said she had been abused by an uncle from the age of eight – abuse which continued to her wedding day in 1988, when she claimed the uncle squeezed her breast and whispered: "Remember I was there first." |
| Brewer listened to her, she said, and she would often go to see him for chats in his office, which was on the ground floor of the music block and contained a grand piano and a settee. | Brewer listened to her, she said, and she would often go to see him for chats in his office, which was on the ground floor of the music block and contained a grand piano and a settee. |
| It started with hugs, said Andrade. "I didn't mind." But soon Brewer went further, she said. "Very quickly Mike would tell me that I bewitched him. That he found me irresistible, that he found me wise and wonderful, hugely talented and that these feelings could not be wrong because they felt so right." She liked it: "I felt cared for and nurtured." | It started with hugs, said Andrade. "I didn't mind." But soon Brewer went further, she said. "Very quickly Mike would tell me that I bewitched him. That he found me irresistible, that he found me wise and wonderful, hugely talented and that these feelings could not be wrong because they felt so right." She liked it: "I felt cared for and nurtured." |
| She was 14 when he started touching her in his office. She would usually be in her school uniform, she said, and he would get her to strip naked while she gave him oral sex. He always kept his clothes on, she told the jury, just unzipping his flies. She was happy with it at the time, she said. "I did not feel at the time I was a victim. It was a relationship that developed in a completely normal way. We would kiss, he would touch me." | She was 14 when he started touching her in his office. She would usually be in her school uniform, she said, and he would get her to strip naked while she gave him oral sex. He always kept his clothes on, she told the jury, just unzipping his flies. She was happy with it at the time, she said. "I did not feel at the time I was a victim. It was a relationship that developed in a completely normal way. We would kiss, he would touch me." |
| Brewer denied any sexual activity with Andrade, but the jury found him guilty on four counts of indecent assault in his office at Chetham's. | Brewer denied any sexual activity with Andrade, but the jury found him guilty on four counts of indecent assault in his office at Chetham's. |
| It wasn't long before Andrade started spending time at the Brewer family home. He lived in Chorlton, an upmarket suburb in south Manchester, with his then wife, Hilary Kay Brewer, known as Kay, and their four young daughters. It was not unusual for teenage girls from Chet's, as they called it, to babysit. Sometimes the Brewers would take in troubled students for respite from their boarding houses, and Andrade became "part of the family" for a term. | It wasn't long before Andrade started spending time at the Brewer family home. He lived in Chorlton, an upmarket suburb in south Manchester, with his then wife, Hilary Kay Brewer, known as Kay, and their four young daughters. It was not unusual for teenage girls from Chet's, as they called it, to babysit. Sometimes the Brewers would take in troubled students for respite from their boarding houses, and Andrade became "part of the family" for a term. |
| It was at the house that Andrade claimed Brewer performed oral sex on her, when she was 15 years old. This was one of three indecent assault charges of which the jury found him not guilty. They were not convinced he had ever sexually abused her in his own home. The jury did decide that Brewer had asked Andrade to give him oral sex as he drove around Manchester in his campervan. She was 15 at the time. | It was at the house that Andrade claimed Brewer performed oral sex on her, when she was 15 years old. This was one of three indecent assault charges of which the jury found him not guilty. They were not convinced he had ever sexually abused her in his own home. The jury did decide that Brewer had asked Andrade to give him oral sex as he drove around Manchester in his campervan. She was 15 at the time. |
| He would take her to the pub and buy her pints of lager and lime. They would hold hands in public, she said, and he would refer to himself not as Mike but Mat – Middle Aged Teacher. | He would take her to the pub and buy her pints of lager and lime. They would hold hands in public, she said, and he would refer to himself not as Mike but Mat – Middle Aged Teacher. |
| Andrade left Chetham's a year early, in 1981, and went to Israel and then Germany to continue her violin studies. While she was gone, she recalled, he kept in touch. "I had almost daily letters telling me how much he loved me," she said, "how he missed me, he was going to leave his wife when the time was right and he would sign it 'Mat'." | Andrade left Chetham's a year early, in 1981, and went to Israel and then Germany to continue her violin studies. While she was gone, she recalled, he kept in touch. "I had almost daily letters telling me how much he loved me," she said, "how he missed me, he was going to leave his wife when the time was right and he would sign it 'Mat'." |
| When she was 18, Andrade returned to the Brewers' house and stayed for one night. It was then, she claimed, that the Brewers raped her, an allegation of which the jurors were not convinced. They unanimously found Michael Brewer not guilty of the rape, and acquitted Kay Brewer of aiding and abetting rape. But they found Kay Brewer guilty of one count of indecent assault on that night, which Andrade claimed began when the older woman invited her to inspect her breasts, having just had a breast reduction operation. | When she was 18, Andrade returned to the Brewers' house and stayed for one night. It was then, she claimed, that the Brewers raped her, an allegation of which the jurors were not convinced. They unanimously found Michael Brewer not guilty of the rape, and acquitted Kay Brewer of aiding and abetting rape. But they found Kay Brewer guilty of one count of indecent assault on that night, which Andrade claimed began when the older woman invited her to inspect her breasts, having just had a breast reduction operation. |
| Despite the burden of these memories, Andrade was determined to get on with her life. She married in 1988 and had four children. It was only in 2002 that she decided to confront the abuse of her past, when a friend emailed her news about Malcolm Layfield, a violin teacher at Chetham's who was facing claims he had taken advantage of students as young as 16. | Despite the burden of these memories, Andrade was determined to get on with her life. She married in 1988 and had four children. It was only in 2002 that she decided to confront the abuse of her past, when a friend emailed her news about Malcolm Layfield, a violin teacher at Chetham's who was facing claims he had taken advantage of students as young as 16. |
| Layfield had just been promoted to the post of head of the school of strings at the Royal Northern College of Music, a position Andrade felt he did not deserve, having heard allegations about his sexual impropriety with his pupils. | Layfield had just been promoted to the post of head of the school of strings at the Royal Northern College of Music, a position Andrade felt he did not deserve, having heard allegations about his sexual impropriety with his pupils. |
| Enraged by Layfield's new job, she felt able to confront her own abusers, and phoned Michael Brewer. She accused him of knowing about Layfield's penchant for sleeping with his teenage charges. | Enraged by Layfield's new job, she felt able to confront her own abusers, and phoned Michael Brewer. She accused him of knowing about Layfield's penchant for sleeping with his teenage charges. |
| He had divorced by then; by 1994 the "spark had gone" from the marriage, Kay Brewer told the jury, as she admitted she was "happy" when her husband revealed he had fallen in love, aged 49, with a pupil, aged 17, from Chet's. | He had divorced by then; by 1994 the "spark had gone" from the marriage, Kay Brewer told the jury, as she admitted she was "happy" when her husband revealed he had fallen in love, aged 49, with a pupil, aged 17, from Chet's. |
| Michael Brewer told the court he had loved the 17-year-old, and had "wonderful" memories of the relationship. | Michael Brewer told the court he had loved the 17-year-old, and had "wonderful" memories of the relationship. |
| The girl, now a grown woman, recalled things differently. She thought she was in love with him at the time, she told the jury. But she saw it "a bit differently now as an adult". She felt abused. | The girl, now a grown woman, recalled things differently. She thought she was in love with him at the time, she told the jury. But she saw it "a bit differently now as an adult". She felt abused. |
| She felt uncomfortable with the memory of the matching watches he bought them from Argos, which he had engraved with their initials. And she was perplexed at the memory of Kay Brewer giving her a copy of the House at Pooh Corner, bearing the handwritten inscription: "Don't worry about things, he is just a normal human being with all the same insecurities and doubts as you, love Kay." In evidence, Kay said she didn't remember giving the gift, but conceded it was "the sort of thing I might have done". | She felt uncomfortable with the memory of the matching watches he bought them from Argos, which he had engraved with their initials. And she was perplexed at the memory of Kay Brewer giving her a copy of the House at Pooh Corner, bearing the handwritten inscription: "Don't worry about things, he is just a normal human being with all the same insecurities and doubts as you, love Kay." In evidence, Kay said she didn't remember giving the gift, but conceded it was "the sort of thing I might have done". |
| Like Brewer's 17-year-old lover, Andrade came to view her "relationship" with Michael Brewer in a more sinister light. She told the jury of "Mike" and her uncle, "I now realise I was at the hands of paedophiles". | Like Brewer's 17-year-old lover, Andrade came to view her "relationship" with Michael Brewer in a more sinister light. She told the jury of "Mike" and her uncle, "I now realise I was at the hands of paedophiles". |
| Outside court, Claire Moreland, the current headteacher of Chetham's, said: "What we have learned during the course of the last four weeks has shocked us to the core. The passage of time between the offences and now does not lessen this shock. | Outside court, Claire Moreland, the current headteacher of Chetham's, said: "What we have learned during the course of the last four weeks has shocked us to the core. The passage of time between the offences and now does not lessen this shock. |
| "Mr Brewer has been found to have committed the most appalling acts which took place during his time at the school and he breached the trust placed in him by the school, its staff and, most importantly, the students. | "Mr Brewer has been found to have committed the most appalling acts which took place during his time at the school and he breached the trust placed in him by the school, its staff and, most importantly, the students. |
| "On behalf of the current school staff, I wish to express my profound and sincere apology and regret. And most of all I wish to express the sorrow and sympathy we feel for the family of our former student who died under such tragic circumstances and had to endure so much. | "On behalf of the current school staff, I wish to express my profound and sincere apology and regret. And most of all I wish to express the sorrow and sympathy we feel for the family of our former student who died under such tragic circumstances and had to endure so much. |
| "Having been the head of the school for the last 14 years, I can say that, during my time, child welfare has been at the heart of the school. This has been endorsed by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. | "Having been the head of the school for the last 14 years, I can say that, during my time, child welfare has been at the heart of the school. This has been endorsed by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. |
| "Furthermore, the child protection measures we have in place are robust and extensive, and reflect the huge improvements in child protection across the education sector. | "Furthermore, the child protection measures we have in place are robust and extensive, and reflect the huge improvements in child protection across the education sector. |
| "It is my job to ensure that Chetham's continues to nurture and develop our current students, the talented young musicians we are so privileged to teach. | "It is my job to ensure that Chetham's continues to nurture and develop our current students, the talented young musicians we are so privileged to teach. |
| "While I am responsible for ensuring that the school has a bright future, I recognise that the repercussions of this case and the hurt Mr Brewer has caused will continue for some time and must never be forgotten." | "While I am responsible for ensuring that the school has a bright future, I recognise that the repercussions of this case and the hurt Mr Brewer has caused will continue for some time and must never be forgotten." |
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