A TEACHER from North Yorkshire who sexually abused five pupils at a school has got his wish and been struck off for life.

Mark Christopher Blackie is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for a catalogue of sexual offences against children including attempted rape.

York Crown Court heard his actions drove one of the girls to take an overdose and to self harm.

A teachers' professional conduct tribunal decided he should be banned from teaching in any school, college or educational establishment for the rest of his life.

He had already been put on the national disbarring list which prohibits him from working or volunteering with children or vulnerable adults in any capacity.

Blackie, now 34, formerly of Park Lane, East Lutton near Malton, had hoped to become head of a school department.

He told the tribunal in a written document: “I would like to be struck off from the profession. I have no desire to ever return to such an unsafe career for the rest of my natural life. I will never teach again.”

He was not present or represented at the hearing.

The tribunal decided that his misconduct had, among other matters, violated the rights of pupils, involved bullying or other deliberate behaviour that undermined pupils, the profession, school or colleagues and had shown dishonesty or a lack of integrity.

Sentencing Blackie, the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, told him: “Nobody knew that inside that good teacher there lurked a darker side, a physical liking for young adolescent girls and you indulged yourself.”

He said Blackie had used “emotional blackmail” to try and stop one girl revealing what he had done to her and had “completely abandoned all decorum” when he had abused her.

Blackie had denied all charges and broke down in the dock as the jury convicted him of attempted rape, a serious sexual assault, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and seven charges of sexual assault at the end of an 11-day trial in 2022.

A sixth girl made sexual allegations against him relating to a period many years before the offences of which he was convicted. He was due to stand trial a second time in relation to them, but following the convictions at the end of the 11-day trial, her allegations were left on file, which means they appear on Blackie’s police record but are not convictions.

Blackie did not react as he was jailed for 10 years, barred from teaching or working with children again, put on the sex offenders' register for life and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.