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ByAnonymous, Anonymous
A Jewish teacher accused of sexual assaults on two schoolgirls is facing a retrial after a jury failed to reach a verdict.
The panel was discharged by a judge on Monday after admitting it was unable to agree on the case of father-of-ten Todros Grynhaus, 50, following almost three days of deliberation.
Mr Grynhaus is alleged to have molested the girls when they were between the ages of 13 and 15 then relied on the Orthodox Jewish community’s ‘resentment’ of reporting matters to the police to keep the allegations secret.
It was claimed he breached his bail conditions and flew to Israel when the allegations first surfaced, only returning when he was re-arrested and deported after almost two years.
At Manchester Crown Court the jury were offered the chance to return majority verdicts after retiring on Thursday but were discharged after passing a note to the trial judge Mr Justice Turner.
Mr Gryhaus, from Salford, was told he would he would face a new trial in January 2016 and was remanded in custody.
He is accused of five counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault said to have been committed on the girls between June 1996 and March 2005.
He denies the charges.
Earlier summing the trial up to the jury after three weeks of evidence, Mr Justice Turner said Mr Grynhaus had been described as a ‘highly respected’ man who enjoyed a happy relationship with his wife.
Giving evidence, Mr Grynhaus had claimed that the women had made the allegations as ‘revenge’ and to obtain money from him.
He had also explained to the court why he fled to Israel. Summing up his evidence, Mr Justice Turner added: “He wanted to avoid shame and disgrace being brought on his family.
Mrs Grynhaus had told the court: “We have a happy marriage and love each other,” while Mr Grynhaus's father, the influential London Rabbi Dayan Dovid Grynhaus, said: “I have a good relationship with my son. He is obedient and respectful.”
Mr Justice Turner had advised the jury that it had to decide “whether they are giving evidence in order to help you in revealing the truth or whether they are giving evidence out of a misguided loyalty which is not accurate".