A FORMER teacher serving 12 years for raping a child and attempting to rape a middle-aged woman has been given leave to appeal against his conviction.

Jerome Uche, of Deynecourt Gardens in Wanstead, was found guilty of attacking a 15-year-old girl who came from Germany to stay at his family home at Easter in 1995.

She was abused as she slept in the bottom bunk of her bed while his own children slept in the bunk above.

On one occasion Uche raped the Nigerian-born victim on his living room floor as he watched a pornographic film while his family was out of the house.

The father-of-four then took her to a friend’s flat where he got her drunk on Bailey’s and then raped her again.

In October 1995, Uche assaulted and attempted to rape a middle-aged woman. Proceedings only began several years later because in both cases it took years for the women to contact police.

In November 2008 at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Mr 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 given a 12 year sentence for the first rape, with all other sentences to run concurrently.

Sentencing Uche at the original trial last year, Judge Kennedy said he had “betrayed the trust” of those around him by abusing the teenager when he was supposed to be looking after her.

“This case represents a tragedy for all involved in it but it is a tragedy of your making," he said. “These offences are truly heinous, and a lengthy prison sentence is unavoidable.”

He added that it was a “great concern” that Uche continued in protesting his innocence, despite being found guilty unanimously by a jury the previous month.

During the trial, Uche made a number of allegations about his victims as part of his defence. Judge Kennedy said: “The fact that you made them at all shows absolutely no remorse or insight into the terrible harm you did to both of these women.

“At the time you told her (the teenager) to tell no-one of what you had done. Each of these is an aggravating factor.”

At the Criminal Appeal Court yesterday, Lord Justice Scott Baker, Mr Justice Owen and Mr Justice Cranston granted Mr Uche the right to appeal against his conviction.

No date has yet been set for the hearing.