Roger Martin trial & verdict

This section was setup in August 2018 in order to move the existing related discussions from other sections into this new section to group them together, and separate from the other CH-related topics.

Moderator: Moderators

robert totterdell
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 139
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:58 pm
Real Name: Mr Robert G S Totterdell

Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by robert totterdell »

Hi All

I have not been on this site for legal reasons concerning the Burr case.

I am able to comment on the Martin Case.

I attended the court for the entire trial other than the verdict and sentencing day, last Thursday.

I am aware that certain people have posted to this forum assertions that are inaccurate.

The verdict was as follows:

The clerk asked whether at least 10 of the 11 had agreed a verdict.
Forewoman said: ‘Yes.”

Clerk asked: "Do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?"

Forewoman said: “Guilty.

Clerk: "Is that the verdict of you all?"

Forewoman said: “It is the verdict of us all.”

So individuals should not try to claim that it was a majority verdict, particularly if they did not attend the full trial and did not hear the prosecuting evidence.

A very key issue was also missed - there were three letters of bad character brought against Martin. Only one was allowed which concerned the filming of boys naked jumping in and out of a cold bath. This was said to have done for some Americans. The film was never developed. The prosecution did not accept this and used this along with the Bum Sliding and Skinny Dipping as clear evidence that Martin had a propensity to like watching and being with young boys.

The other two letters were disallowed by Her Honour Judge Henson as being so prejudicial against Mr Martin that he would not receive a fair trial.

I will not say what they involved other than if the jurors had heard this evidence then they would have made up their minds on a guilty verdict regardless of any other evidence.

And now to Mr Durrant. He is quite right to criticise persons on this forum for making assertions or abusive comments. If you know something and have evidence then go to the police.

BUT he is not right to suggest, because of his own trial, that non recent (what he calls Historical) abuse events are weighed in favour of the prosecution That is a total bias on our court system and he should be ashamed for suggesting it. In fact Judge Henson was at labour to say both at the start of the trial and at the end that the Prosecution had to prove that the defendant was guilty 'beyond reasonable doubt'. It was not for the Defence to prove innocence or anything at all.

Martin's defence was 'smoke and mirrors' and the jury got it. He never answered a question without a story. He willfully and deliberately muddled up information using his time in Prep A and then Barnes A as a junior master and then Barnes A later as a Housemaster. He got the bedroom drawing wrong but then decided that he had drawn his room in Prep A rather than Barnes A - the altered drawing actually pretty much matched the victims drawing, as it had not before.

The defence brought up Starehe in Kenya - the Christ's Hospital of Kenya, which was of no relevance and Judge Henson stopped this part of the evidence. It was done to confuse the jurors already confused with no idea of the uniform, the buildings and working from a current day plan.

(By the way it was Starehe that had such a bad regime of corporal punishment that led to the United Nations forcing Kenya to abolish the punishment in 1996).

But what Mr Durrant doesn't know is that one of the key items of the defence was that various masters had bedrooms on the inter connection corridor between Barnes A and B. At the start of the trial the defence had asked for consideration for them to bring new evidence. This concerned Peter Webb and the suggestion was that it was Webb that had taken the victim into the bedroom, not Martin. In the end the Defence thought better of it but they continued to suggest that it was another master and that the victim had just pasted the face of Martin on the body of the master.

Mr Durrant had a room in those corridors. Perhaps he may want to consider as to whether there is a suggestion that he might have been the perpetrator? That by the defence and Martin himself who was not exactly polite about Mr Durrant until he then started saying Jeffers who did not arrive in the house until a year later - SMOKE AND MIRRORS.

The Jury got it right - thank god for our legal system.

Rob - oh and of course some will not know that I was a victim of Peter Burr and I knew Roger Martin and he is arrogant now as he was then.
DazedandConfused
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 274
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:20 pm
Real Name: J

Re: Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by DazedandConfused »

Robert it’s good to see you back here, I’d noticed your absence and hoped that you were well. Thank you for attending the trial and reporting back with so much detail. It goes to show that it is often the smallest details in a case that make the difference, both to the verdict but also to those of us trying to make sense of what happened.
robert totterdell
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 139
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:58 pm
Real Name: Mr Robert G S Totterdell

Re: Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by robert totterdell »

Thank you DazedandConfused

I will be posting now as my issue is not with Martin or any of the others, even the person who abused me. My issue is with CH and why it all happened - for now some 35 years according to Martin's evidence but more like 38 years and probably more.

I have decided to keep the Forum updated. I am writing to Simon Reid - I have many private emails from some of the victims - it is really dreadful to read them and I know how I felt when I listened to the victims evidence - I cried and cried and Judge Henson saw it as I think did some of the jury although I did tried to hide it. His evidence reminded me of exactly how I felt both at the time and coming forward and it is not easy.

There is a way to go but I will try to get answers. I am incredibly lucky though as I have a support team of Old Blues who have helped me to try and get to the bottom of the issues and I think I am close courtesy of Martin's own evidence.

Thanks
Rob
User avatar
J.R.
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15835
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:53 pm
Real Name: John Rutley
Location: Dorking, Surrey

Re: Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by J.R. »

Many thanks for your post Rob.

Maybe that will enlighten a few posters.
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
RemedyLaw
3rd Former
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2017 10:19 am
Real Name: Remedy Law
Contact:

Re: Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by RemedyLaw »

Hi Rob,

Thanks for your comments and views of which hopefully clarify some innacuracies for all.

I must admit I do praise your continued support for others who have also suffered, bearing in mind, it is likely to be somewhat of an emotional burden for you.

Best

Charles @ Verisona Law
robert totterdell
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 139
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:58 pm
Real Name: Mr Robert G S Totterdell

Re: Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by robert totterdell »

Thank you Charles

It is and has been quite strenuous for me but I need answers for all. I am starting to get used to it!

I have finally finished a letter to the HM Simon Reid & Treasurer and I have decide to upload this with Julian's help. So you will all see what I am saying.

Cheers & thanks

Rob
User avatar
J.R.
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15835
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:53 pm
Real Name: John Rutley
Location: Dorking, Surrey

Re: Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by J.R. »

robert totterdell wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2019 3:22 pm Thank you DazedandConfused

I will be posting now as my issue is not with Martin or any of the others, even the person who abused me. My issue is with CH and why it all happened - for now some 35 years according to Martin's evidence but more like 38 years and probably more.

I have decided to keep the Forum updated. I am writing to Simon Reid - I have many private emails from some of the victims - it is really dreadful to read them and I know how I felt when I listened to the victims evidence - I cried and cried and Judge Henson saw it as I think did some of the jury although I did tried to hide it. His evidence reminded me of exactly how I felt both at the time and coming forward and it is not easy.

There is a way to go but I will try to get answers. I am incredibly lucky though as I have a support team of Old Blues who have helped me to try and get to the bottom of the issues and I think I am close courtesy of Martin's own evidence.

Thanks
Rob
Thanks yet again Rob. It was a pleasure to communicate with you during what must been a harrowing week in Court.

True OB's are with you.
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
Vilified
3rd Former
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 7:22 pm
Real Name: RCD

Re: Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by Vilified »

robert totterdell wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2019 2:18 pm
And now to Mr Durrant. He is quite right to criticise persons on this forum for making assertions or abusive comments. If you know something and have evidence then go to the police.

BUT he is not right to suggest, because of his own trial, that non recent (what he calls Historical) abuse events are weighed in favour of the prosecution That is a total bias on our court system and he should be ashamed for suggesting it. In fact Judge Henson was at labour to say both at the start of the trial and at the end that the Prosecution had to prove that the defendant was guilty 'beyond reasonable doubt'. It was not for the Defence to prove innocence or anything at all.

Martin's defence was 'smoke and mirrors' and the jury got it. He never answered a question without a story. He willfully and deliberately muddled up information using his time in Prep A and then Barnes A as a junior master and then Barnes A later as a Housemaster. He got the bedroom drawing wrong but then decided that he had drawn his room in Prep A rather than Barnes A - the altered drawing actually pretty much matched the victims drawing, as it had not before.

But what Mr Durrant doesn't know is that one of the key items of the defence was that various masters had bedrooms on the inter connection corridor between Barnes A and B. At the start of the trial the defence had asked for consideration for them to bring new evidence. This concerned Peter Webb and the suggestion was that it was Webb that had taken the victim into the bedroom, not Martin. In the end the Defence thought better of it but they continued to suggest that it was another master and that the victim had just pasted the face of Martin on the body of the master.

Mr Durrant had a room in those corridors. Perhaps he may want to consider as to whether there is a suggestion that he might have been the perpetrator? That by the defence and Martin himself who was not exactly polite about Mr Durrant until he then started saying Jeffers who did not arrive in the house until a year later - SMOKE AND MIRRORS.

The Jury got it right - thank god for our legal system.

Rob - oh and of course some will not know that I was a victim of Peter Burr and I knew Roger Martin and he is arrogant now as he was then.
Bl**dy hell!!! I am appalled that he should have tried to save his own skin by blaming others, me not least! And here have I been singing his praises! What a sh1t! I so misjudged him.

Thank you so much for your account. You have certainly helped me see reality more clearly!

I didn't know all that about how these non recent cases are dealt with. I wrongly made ignorant assumptions based on popular misconceptions. Thank you for putting me straight.

Hideous!

Thank you so much for taking this burden upon yourself, and for giving a clear and illuminating account.
Last edited by Vilified on Fri Jul 12, 2019 6:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
DazedandConfused
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 274
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:20 pm
Real Name: J

Re: Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by DazedandConfused »

Vilified whilst I haven’t agreed with all that you’ve said I do admire how quick you are to accept you were wrong on an issue and to apologise. It must be distressing to hear that Martin tried to push the blame in the direction of yourself and others.
Vilified
3rd Former
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 7:22 pm
Real Name: RCD

Re: Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by Vilified »

DazedandConfused wrote: Thu Jul 11, 2019 9:08 pm Vilified whilst I haven’t agreed with all that you’ve said I do admire how quick you are to accept you were wrong on an issue and to apologise. It must be distressing to hear that Martin tried to push the blame in the direction of yourself and others.
Thank you for that kind comment.
Yes, it's a nasty uncomfortable feeling.
DazedandConfused
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 274
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:20 pm
Real Name: J

Re: Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by DazedandConfused »

Vilified wrote: Thu Jul 11, 2019 9:29 pm
DazedandConfused wrote: Thu Jul 11, 2019 9:08 pm Vilified whilst I haven’t agreed with all that you’ve said I do admire how quick you are to accept you were wrong on an issue and to apologise. It must be distressing to hear that Martin tried to push the blame in the direction of yourself and others.
Thank you for that kind comment.
Yes, it's a nasty uncomfortable feeling.
Slightly ironic that you came on here to understand Martin’s offences, only to discover this.

I hope you stick around.
robert totterdell
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 139
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:58 pm
Real Name: Mr Robert G S Totterdell

Re: Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by robert totterdell »

Thank you all

It is good to see that perhaps you have decided not to argue so much!

I have written a letter to Simon Reid & Chris Steine which I have decided should be put onto the forum site.

It is long and directional.

For me the question remains - why on earth was it allowed to go on for such a long time?

But enough now - it's time for bed said .....

Rob
LHA
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 239
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 11:35 pm
Real Name: Charles Henry

Re: Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by LHA »

robert totterdell wrote: Thu Jul 11, 2019 10:54 pm Thank you all

It is good to see that perhaps you have decided not to argue so much!

I have written a letter to Simon Reid & Chris Steine which I have decided should be put onto the forum site.

It is long and directional.

For me the question remains - why on earth was it allowed to go on for such a long time?

But enough now - it's time for bed said .....

Rob
Thank you so much again for posting Robert. It would be great to see the letter when you feel able. We are all behind you.
Ajarn Philip
Button Grecian
Posts: 1902
Joined: Sat Jul 14, 2007 7:30 pm
Real Name: AP

Re: Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by Ajarn Philip »

robert totterdell wrote: Thu Jul 11, 2019 10:54 pm It is good to see that perhaps you have decided not to argue so much!
They weren't left with much choice. I don't normally like to see threads locked, but in this case at least it nipped the kangaroo court in the bud.

There seems to be a lot of good work being done on the forum (I'm still catching up), but an overzealous approach could put that at risk.
TMF
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 149
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 6:03 am
Real Name: TMF

Re: Roger Martin trial & verdict

Post by TMF »

Yes, tolerance is a virtue.
Post Reply