THE former chairman of the governing body of Queen Ethelburga’s school near York will stand trial next year after denying 15 historic sex offences.

Brian Richard Martin, 67, pleaded not guilty at Leeds Crown Court on Friday to all the allegations against him during a 20-minute-hearing.

He denied seven offences of indecent assault on a male person between 1982 and 1987, when that complainant was aged between 14 and 18 and a further offence when he was older.

He also pleaded not guilty to one charge of buggery, three of attempted buggery and one of making indecent photographs of a child involving the same complainant prior to 1987.

Martin previously of Avenue Des Alpes, Divonne, France also denied two offences of indecent assault against a girl aged 12 to 15 between 1991 and 1995.

Charlotte Kenny representing him said he would have a queen’s counsel representing him at trial which it was estimated would last up to three weeks.

A trial date was fixed for July 10 next year. The prosecution was ordered to serve its primary case by November 11 and the accused ordered to serve a defence statement by December 9.

Martin is on bail to an address in Farnham Lane, Ferrensby, Knaresborough on condition he does not enter the Thorpe Underwood estate between York and Knaresborough or have any unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18.

The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC told him: “I have now fixed the trial date for 10 July next year. Bail will continue to then, those conditions continue to apply. If you break any of them you could be taken into custody if necessary in order to protect the trial process.”

He warned him if he did not attend court it would be a separate offence and if he had no good reason the trial could be held in his absence. Finally by 9 December you must set out in detail in writing what you say your defence is and what you say about the case and the evidence.”