Former teacher at all-girls grammar school found guilty of sexually abusing pupils
A former teacher at an all-girls grammar school in Belfast was told today (Friday) he faces jail after being found guilty of sexually abusing pupils in the 1970s.
William Lloyd-Lavery shook his head as a jury at Belfast Crown Court found him guilty of six charges of indecent assault.
Following a trial which spanned two weeks, the six men and six women of the jury deliberated for around four-and-a-half before returning their unanimously guilty verdicts.
Despite his denials and claims that he was the victim of a vendetta and that the complainants colluded against him via Facebook, the 77-year old from Richmond Avenue in Lisburn was found to have sexually abused five pupils.
As result of the convictions, Lloyd-Lavery will now be placed on the Sex Offenders Register. The length of time the pensioner will spend on the Register will be determined when he is sentenced in March.
All the charges relate to a period spanning from August 31, 1975 and July 1, 1979 when Lloyd-Lavery worked as a history teacher at Richmond Lodge College on Belfast's Malone Road.
During the trial, the former pupils gave evidence and recalled how they were targeted by Lloyd-Lavery.
One woman who is now in her 60s said she felt she was "hunted like prey through my own school by a teacher for his own sexual gratification."
The jury heard that she was lifted up and sexually abused by Lloyd-Lavery in a French stationery cupboard after telling her he needed help looking for a history book.
The woman recalled how, when her feet were off the ground, Lloyd-Lavery held her with his left hand whilst he used his right hand to touch her which left her "frozen in horror."
Her 94-year old mother also gave evidence at the trial and recalled how her "heart sank" when her then 13-year old daughter told her what had happened.
She added that her daughter told her how frightened she was and how she felt she couldn't get away.
The woman said that as a result, both her and her now-deceased husband went to the school the following morning and that she felt the headmistress was "keen that nothing should be done."
Another victim of Lloyd-Lavery's gave evidence and recalled how she was taken by him to a storeroom where he asked her about the Bubonic Plague then touched her armpit, touched her breast then rubbed her groin over her school skirt.
The 12 members returned to court earlier today when the foreperson returned unanimously guilty verdicts on six charges of indecent assault.
The jury also returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on a further two charges of indecent assault whilst Judge Patrick Lynch KC directed them to find Lloyd-Lavery not guilty of one count of indecent assault on an evidential basis.
Earlier in the trial, two counts of gross indecency with or towards a child were withdrawn from the jury on a point of law.
Lloyd-Lavery's barrister asked the Judge if his client could be released on continuing bail ahead of sentencing. This, the defence barrister said, would be to allow Lloyd-Lavery an opportunity to get his affairs in order.
Saying a term of imprisonment was "likely", Judge Lynch granted bail and said that ahead of sentencing, both a Probation and medical reports should be sought.
The Judge told the defence the latter report was required as "any medications the defendant is on should be available" as the Prison Service would need to be informed.
The Judge then addressed the now-convicted sex offender as he stood in the dock.
Telling Lloyd-Lavery he needed to co-operate with Probation for the pre-sentence report, Judge Lynch released him on bail and told him to return to court on March 6 for sentencing.