Former teacher jailed over abuse of pupils at Belfast school in 1970s

By Rebecca Black, Press Association

A former teacher has been jailed after indecently assaulting pupils at a south Belfast school in the 1970s.

William Lloyd-Lavery, 77, of Richmond Avenue, Lisburn, was handed a two-year sentence at Belfast Crown Court after being found guilty in January of indecently assaulting four girls at a south Belfast school in the 1970s.

The former history teacher was found guilty of six counts of indecent assault spanning a period when he was aged in his late 20s and early 30s.

Two of his victims were 13, and his victims described being touched sexually both over and under their clothes in the school, from locations including the corridor as well as after being lured to the stationery cupboard in one instance, and a storeroom in another instance.

One described the experience as a “loss of innocence which would last her to the end of her days” which “destroyed her faith in teachers”.

Another said the assaults changed her, that she felt ashamed and for months after had sleeping problems which culminated in her sleeping on a mattress on the floor of her parents’ bedroom, and then having to be referred to a child psychologist.

Lloyd-Lavery went on to work at Stormont as a researcher, speech writer and press officer for the Ulster Unionist Party until his retirement in 2017.

On Tuesday, Lloyd-Lavery sat in the dock with his head bowed for most of the hearing.

A number of his victims sat in the public gallery behind him. They hugged each other following the conclusion of the hearing.

A defence barrister had requested a delayed sentence, telling the court his client suffers from hypertension and was at an increased risk of a stroke.

The prosecution said the defendant has consistently denied the matters, and said a suspended sentence would “have no effect on him”.

She said a medical “can’t be a get out of jail free card”.

Judge Patrick Lynch told Lloyd-Lavery that by his actions he “violated that trust in the grossest manner and the court cannot but take the most serious view of these offences”.

He said the victims are to be complimented for coming forward to “expose a paedophile”.

“It may be that Lloyd-Lavery now constitutes no danger to children, but (to) emphasise that child abusers, or those who may be tempted to abuse children, that they will never be able to rest easy for the crime will or may catch up with them even decades after the perpetration of those crimes,” he said.

“They will forever be looking over their shoulders in fear of that day of reckoning coming.”

He said he is imposing one concurrent sentence to reflect all the offences, of two years in prison on all counts to run concurrently.

Speaking outside court, Detective Inspector Kelly Foley said: “This man was an opportunist, using his position of power and trust within the school environment to prey on young girls.

“He thought for a long time he had got away with this, today has proven that the passage of time has no bearing on a criminal justice outcome.

“I want to thank the bravery of the victims in coming forward.

“We have seen an increase in reports of non-recent child abuse over the last five years, with an average of 76 new referrals of this type each month across the province.

“Sentencings like today, I hope, will provide those who have suffered with the confidence to break the years of silence they have endured.

“Let this serve as another warning to those perpetrating child sexual abuse in our communities, we are working every day to break down reporting barriers and encourage victims to come forward.

“Our specialist officers are working day and night to relentless pursue offenders and bring them to justice.”