Angry scenes as Christian Brother jailed

AUSTRALIA
SBS

Source: AAP
27 NOV 2014

Angry scenes erupted in a Sydney court after an ex-Christian Brother was sentenced to at least two years in jail for indecently assaulting boys at NSW schools more than 30 years ago.

Desmond Eric Richards, 76, pleaded guilty earlier this month to abusing four boys between 1972 and 1982 in Albury, Wagga Wagga and Strathfield in Sydney’s inner west.

District Court Judge Peter Zahra on Thursday sentenced him to a non-parole period of two years after imposing a maximum sentence of three years and three months for the offences.

Shortly after the sentence was handed down and as Richards was escorted from the court, one of his victims shouted “you piece of f***g s**t, I’m going to drag you back in here and see you do 30 years.”

Others vocalised their disappointment with the sentence while some could be heard to say “hear hear”.

During each of the attacks in 1972, 1976 and 1982 Richards would isolate one of the boys and molest him, before subjecting his victim to weeks of physical punishment for minor transgressions.

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