The disturbing allegations against teacher Chris Ling who killed himself rather than face court

Ling's wife Pip Clarke in a publicity shot.
He said sensual pictures were vital.

Amid the pre-dawn gloom of a Californian morning, a team of US marshals gathered in front of a three-storey townhouse. They had been well briefed on their task and, on paper at least, it must have sounded simple enough: to arrest a 58-year-old Englishman by the name of Chris Ling.

The allegations facing him were historical, a string of sexual assaults dating back to the 1980s when he taught the violin at the noted Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester.

Ling had long denied any wrongdoing and had refused to return voluntarily to the UK to face his accusers. Instead, for the past 25 years he had embraced the American way of life, moving to the upmarket Santa Monica suburb of Sherman Oaks where his classical music talent agency did well enough to buy him a £1million-plus property complete with roof-top Jacuzzi.

But on Tuesday, at the request of the British authorities, the marshals knocked on the door of that house, aiming to take him into custody ahead of extradition proceedings.

Before they could enter, a gunshot rang out within the property. When they got inside, Ling, whose wife and teenage daughter were not there, was dead.  (more...)

The disturbing allegations against teacher Chris Ling who killed himself rather than face court