A former teacher at a school in Woking has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for sexually assaulting a pupil.

Jonathan Marshall, 75, worked at St. Dunstan’s Middle Catholic School and targeted the boy in the late 1980s when he was aged between 8 and 10.

In 2021, he disclosed what had happened to him. The sexual attacks took place in the neighbouring church, although on one occasion, he was driven away from the school to a deserted property, where he was abused by the defendant and another man, who has since died.

The victim described his “intense panic” of realising that he was too small to fight against two men.

Marshall, under his previous name of John Lillis, was convicted in 2013 of sexually abusing two pupils.

Catherine Wear, Senior Crown Prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Marshall is an appalling sexual predator who subjected the young victim to horrendous and repeated sexual abuse.

“Marshall took full advantage of his position of authority, telling the child that no-one would believe him if he said anything as he was ‘just a little boy’.

“The victim described how he felt threatened and coerced by the defendant and Marshall did everything he could to control him, making veiled threats that if he said anything about the abuse, he would get into trouble.

“Stories were found on Marshall’s laptop from a website specialising in sexual interest in children and these included chillingly similar details of the abuse described by the victim.

“Despite the threats Marshall made many years ago, the bravery of the victim in coming forward has ensured that the defendant has now been brought to justice.

“We are committed to holding every perpetrator accountable. We understand the courage it takes for victims to come forward, which is why we work closely with police and support services to ensure they receive the care they need throughout the criminal justice process.”