A FORMER teacher who was jailed for 12 years for raping a child and attempting to rape a middle-aged woman will appear at the Court of Appeal today.

Jerome Uche, of Deynecourt Gardens in Wanstead, was convicted in 2008 of attacking a 15-year-old girl who was staying at his family home in 1995.

During the trial, Snaresbrook Crown Court was told how the girl was abused as she slept in the bottom bunk of a bed while other children slept in the bunk above.

On one occasion, Uche was said to have raped the victim on his living room floor as he watched a pornographic film while his family was out of the house.

The father-of-four is also said to have taken her to a friend’s home where he got her drunk and then raped her again.

He was also convicted of assaulting and attempting to rape a middle-aged woman in October the same year.

In both cases, the women did not contact police until years later.

Uche was convicted of two counts of rape, two counts of indecent assault, one count of inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency and one of attempted rape.

He was handed a 12-year prison term for the first rape, and all other sentences are running concurrently.

He was also banned from working with children under 18 and put on the sex offenders’ register.

During the trial, Uche made a number of allegations about his victims as part of his defence, including accusing his first victim of lying.

Uche won the right to appeal against his conviction on January 11.

The ex-technology teacher has always staunchly protested his innocence.