He called me. Hours later he was dead

Andrew Hampton, headteacher at Thorpe Hall School in Wakering Road, Southend, made the disclosure in the latest edition of the independent school’s newsletter.

In it, he wrote of his personal sense of betrayal that his popular deputy head, Martin Goldberg, 46, had led “a double life,” and had filmed children in changing rooms for more than a decade.

Goldberg took his own life on September 10, but it was another 20 days before it was revealed police were investigating him – and had found 1,500 indecent images of pupils at his home.

The pictures had been taken in changing rooms at the school and at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre, using a camera concealed in a bag.

Mr Hampton wrote in the newsletter Goldberg had attempted to call him the night before his death, following a visit by the police, but he had missed the call. He said: “On the evening of September 9, I missed a call from Martin Goldberg. The voicemail he left asked me to call him urgently.

“When I called back, an hour later, he had turned off his phone.

“The next morning, I was very concerned when he failed to arrive at school and at 9.30am I decided to send two members of staff to his house just to check on him.

“Twenty minutes later, they rang me to say he had most likely taken his own life.

“I went round to his house immediately and found police, medical and fire crews still on the scene.

“A policeman told me, although Mr Goldberg had a faint pulse, it was unlikely he would survive.

“He also told me a police online investigation team had visited Mr Goldberg the night before and had spoken to him about a low level allegation concerning a naturist video he had purchased in 2005, which depicted naked boys.”

Mr Hampton added it was another week before he was made aware of the full extent of Goldberg’s offences and another two weeks, while the police completed their investigation, before he was at liberty to divulge what he knew to anyone beyond the school’s governors.

He said: “I still feel enormously sad and angry this has happened at this school and under my watch.”

REGRET EULOGY WAS MADE

ANDREW Hampton has defended a eulogy he made praising his deputy’s work as a teacher, saying he had not known the full extent of his crimes.

Writing in Thorpe Hall School’s newsletter about the eulogy he delivered at an assembly only a few days after Goldberg’s death, Mr Hampton said, at the time, he had not known the full details of the police’s investigation.

When he made the eulogy, he said, he had only heard allegations against Goldberg, without firm evidence.

He added he would not have delivered it had he known what he later found out.

He said: “Remember though that upper school pupils had lost a wellrespected and well-liked teacher and staff had lost a colleague.

“At that time I did not have the details of the investigation and it seemed the appropriate and respectful thing to do.

“Knowing what I found out a few days later, I would not have delivered that eulogy.”

Only a week after Goldberg’s death, the school reported it was planning an event in the coming weeks to celebrate his life.

In his eulogy, Mr Hampton said: “Mr Goldberg’s life lay at the heart of Thorpe Hall School and we will always remember him, his humour, his energy and his warmth.”

SCHOOL CLEARED OF ANY SAFETY BREACHES

THORPE Hall School was not to blame for failing to suspect Martin Goldberg of anywrongdoing, according to child abuse charities.

Writing in the independent school’s newsletter, headteacher Andrew Hampton said he had been assured by the NSPCC and abuse charity Enough Abuse the school’s lack of awareness of Goldberg’s “double life” was typical of many documented cases.

The school has also been cleared of any failings regarding the safeguarding of pupils by the independent schools’ watchdog.

Mr Hampton said: “Staff and I have wrestled with the question of whether we should have had any suspicions. But we were all deceived. There was no indication Mr Goldberg was living a double life. No complaints about his conduct had ever been received and he appeared in every way to be the professional he wanted us to believe he was.

“In discussions with the NSPCC, I have been told this fits the profile of men of his type.

“I have recently been working with a national charity called Enough Abuse, and its leader – Marilyn Hawes – assures me from her personal and extensive work with offenders, Thorpe Hall is typical in its unawareness of what was happening.”

The Independent Schools Inspectorate – Ofsted’s counterpart in the private sector – has examined the school’s safeguarding policies and found no areas for improvement.

Mr Hampton added he had welcomed an offer from the NSPCC to provide a package of support including helplines, information sharing for children and parents and a programme of enhanced training for staff.

He also said Ms Hawes would be offering staff training about grooming and paedophiles at the beginning of the summer term and parents were welcome to attend.

Mr Hampton added he had received hundreds of emails of support from families with children attending the school.

He said: “Above all, the support pupils have shown to one another and the support from parents has been incredible.

“Without exception, every single family has stayed loyal to the school – acknowledging the actions of one man should not be allowed to overshadow the incredible work and achievements of the staff as a whole. I am prouder than ever to be headteacher of this wonderful school and look forward to the many events we have planned for our 90th anniversary celebrations in 2015.”

INVESTIGATION OVER DELAY

ESSEX Police are being investigated over their handling of the Martin Goldberg scandal after it emerged they failed to act on information for nearly a year.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission began its investigation in November after it emerged Essex Police had waited nine months after being alerted of Goldberg’s interest in child pornography to begin an investigation.

Canadian police had passed on information about Goldberg to the UK Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre in July 2012.

The centre only told Essex Police in November 2013, and the force failed to act for another nine months, only approaching Goldberg on September 9 this year.

Keith Bristow, director general of the National Crime Agency – of which the online protection centre is now a part – apologised for the organisation’s delay, in October.

Essex Police and Crime Commissioner Nick Alston said last month he had received assurances from Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh that background checks would, in the future, be carried out immediately after information about potential criminals was received.