A former Suffolk teacher and a renowned harpist accused of sexually assaulting a schoolboy more than thirty years ago have been warned they are facing jail sentences after being convicted by a jury.

Eastern Daily Press: Richard Barton-Wood, 68, was found guilty of seven offences of indecent assault and one offence of attempted indecent assault at Ipswich Crown Court. Picture: JOE GIDDENS/PA WIRERichard Barton-Wood, 68, was found guilty of seven offences of indecent assault and one offence of attempted indecent assault at Ipswich Crown Court. Picture: JOE GIDDENS/PA WIRE

Before Ipswich Crown Court were Richard Barton-Wood, 68, of Church Street, Wymondham, and Danielle Perrett, 59, of Bridge Street, Alpheton, who has played the harp for The Queen and several prime ministers.

Barton Wood denied seven offences of indecent assault and one offence of attempted indecent assault. The jury found him guilty of all the offences by majority verdicts after nine hours of deliberations

Perrett denied six offences of indecent assault and was found guilty of all the offences by majority verdicts,

The offences date back to the 1980s.

Eastern Daily Press: The jury found Danielle Perrett, 58, guilty of six offences of indecent assault at Ipswich Crown Court. Picture: JOE GIDDENS/PA WIREThe jury found Danielle Perrett, 58, guilty of six offences of indecent assault at Ipswich Crown Court. Picture: JOE GIDDENS/PA WIRE

Judge Rupert Overbury adjourned sentence until the week commencing February 26 and warned Barton-Wood and Perrett they were facing jail sentences.

He granted them bail and ordered them to surrender their passports within 24 hours.

During their trial at Ipswich Crown Court the court heard that the teenager had travelled to London with Barton-Wood, a former Claydon High School teacher, to watch Perrett play the harp for guests at a hotel.

Following the performance the teenager and Barton-Wood, who was engaged to Perrett in the 1980s, went to her flat and the boy was given her bed to sleep in, said William Carter, prosecuting.

“As he lay in that large bed Danielle Perrett came into the bedroom and he watched as she got undressed and got into the bed and cuddled up to him and got on top of him,” said Mr Carter.

He said Perrett had sex with the teenager who later described her as “smelling of roses”.

“He found her attractive and he thought she was nice and the sex was nice. They stayed in bed afterwards and fell asleep,” said Mr Carter.

He said that Barton-Wood had come into the room and got into bed with them and had started touching the victim’s genitals but the teenager had turned away.

The next morning the boy was having a shower when Perrett joined him and performed a sex act on him.

Mr Carter said the victim of the offences had been sexually assaulted by Barton-Wood on his boat which he kept at Pin Mill and at a house in Debenham.

Giving evidence Barton-Wood denied having any sexual contact with the victim and Perrett claimed the teenager had pushed her against a wall and rubbed himself against her in her bathroom.

They said that when the victim contacted them following the offences they thought he was going to blackmail them.