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Philip Pickett, A teacher from a prestigious music school has been jailed for 11 years for “exceptionally serious” sex attacks on two schoolgirls and a young woman in sound-proof practice rooms, it can be reported.
Last week, he was convicted of two rapes and two indecent assaults, against three victims aged 16 to 21. The offences took place between 1977 and 1983.
The verdicts can be reported for the first time today after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped further charges because of the level of sentence already imposed on Pickett. But City of London police appealed for any other potential victims to come forward.
Pickett, 64, of Chipping Norton, showed no emotion at the guilty verdicts. Judge Charles Wide said they were “exceptionally serious offences” against a young woman and two schoolgirls.
One of the indecent assaults would be classified as rape under today’s law and carry a maximum life sentence. “This was a gross abuse of trust. They were in awe of you, especially the schoolgirls,” the judge added. He described the attacks on the 16-year-old as the “targeting of a vulnerable victim, a girl you were teaching and had real power over, and knew she would be very reluctant and unlikely to complain”.
The assaults were in rooms “soundproofed, dark — you had turned the lights out — so even if they shouted they could not be heard. Having got them on their own you shut the door”.
Pickett, who played wind instruments, was a classical music teacher at Guildhall School of Music and Drama between 1972 and 1997. He founded early music ensembles New London Consort and Musicians of the Globe, and has collaborated with members of folk-rock band Fairport Convention.
Before being jailed he was organising major music festivals in Bologna, Vienna and Manchester.
His first victim came forward 35 years after being attacked, after seeing the publicity surrounding the Jimmy Savile scandal. Police said that since Pickett’s arrest the Guildhall School had taken measures to protect pupils.
Pickett was cleared of seven charges against six other alleged victims.
Agencies/Canadajournal
In America the statute of limitations would be long gone for these crimes, so bravo.