An ex-teacher who was locked up after having sex with a teenage girl has been set free by Appeal Court judges.

Former Great Boughton resident Lee Francis Dixon, of Greasby in Wirral, was jailed for two years at Chester Crown Court on February 15.

He admitted three counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust and one of perverting the course of justice.

But London's Appeal Court decided instead to impose a suspended prison sentence of 15 months.

Dixon, former captain of Chester Boughton Hall Cricket Club, had worked as a teacher and pastoral care manager, Mr Justice Nicklin told the Appeal Court.

He had a chance meeting in a nightclub with a 17-year-old girl, which ended up with sexual activity.

Lee Dixon when Chester Boughton Hall Cricket Club was nominated in the Champion Team category in the Scottish Power & Trinity Mirror sponsored Your Champions Awards.

On subsequent occasions he took the girl to his own flat and his brother’s empty flat to have sex with her.

When the offences started to come to light, Dixon called the girl and told her to ‘down play’ what had happened between them.

He told her to say it was ‘heavy petting’ and not to reveal that they had had full sex.

He also asked the girl to delete various messages that they had exchanged.

The judge who jailed Dixon said his crimes involved a ‘significant degree of planning’.

A probation officer’s report said Dixon ‘prioritised his needs above the well-being of the girl’.

The report recommended a suspended sentence, but the judge instead imposed the immediate jail term.

Lawyers for Dixon today (Wednesday, June 23) argued that his punishment was far too harsh and should have been suspended.

“We disagree with the judge’s finding on the facts of this case that there was a significant degree of planning,” said Mr Justice Nicklin.

The appeal judge, who was sitting with two others, ruled that the sentence was too long and reduced it to 15 months.

“We are satisfied that the sentence we are substituting could and should be suspended,” he added.

The suspended 15-month jail term will include a rehabilitation requirement, a sex offenders treatment programme and 140 hours unpaid work.