A FORMER chairman of governors of a North Yorkshire school has denied allegations of child sexual abuse.

Brian Richard Martin faces allegations of sexual crimes against pupils at Queen Ethelberga’s School, Thorpe Underwood, north of York, and a casual employee allegedly committed over a 20-year period.

Giving evidence during his trial at Leeds Crown Court, he claimed the allegations had cost him £1 million through their effect on the 45 businesses he had set up.

Asked about the personal effect, he replied: “Traumatic, overwhelming.

“I went into a deep depression, which is something I have never suffered from in my life, and humbling. From being in control of your own life, you realise now that the police and the system is in charge of your life.”

Martin, 68, of Farnham Lane, Ferrensby, Knaresborough, denies all 24 charges.

He alleged that he had been “Provost of Queen Ethelberga’s College, a self-given title” and that after police first interviewed him he had had to leave his home for 35 years on the estate where the school is.

He claimed he had “given away” the school to an international trust to prevent it being sold by a future generation of his family and that he had never taken a salary or expenses from the school.

Asked about the first complainant, who alleges Martin started abusing him systematically when he was a student working for businesses on Martin’s estate, Martin replied: “Never heard of him, saw a photo of him , didn’t recognise him.”

He denied all the man’s allegations, including telling him that a famous popstar wanted to sleep with the man and taking sexual photos of him.

He will continue giving evidence today.