Former teacher tells court assault claims are 'ludicrous'

A former history teacher on trial for historical sexual abuse of teenage girls at a south Belfast school has told a jury that the allegations against him are "ludicrous" and "lies".

William Lloyd-Lavery, 77, of Richmond Avenue in Lisburn, is charged with indecently assaulting six teenage girls at Richmond Lodge School, which no longer exists.

He is accused of nine counts of indecent assault between 1974 and 1979.

He denies the charges.

Warning: People might find details in this report distressing

Lloyd-Lavery was called to give evidence on Wednesday during the fifth day of his trial at Belfast Crown Court.

During the course of the trial, the jury of six men and six women have heard evidence from all six complainants.

On Wednesday, Lloyd-Lavery told the jury that he was a good teacher with a reputation for getting good results.

The accused was questioned first by his barrister and when asked what his response was to the various allegations made, Lloyd-Lavery said: "There is no truth in any of them. They are all completely wrong, completely untrue."

During cross examination by the prosecution, the 77-year-old was asked about an allegation from one of the complainants that he had pornography on the back seat of his car on one occasion when he offered to drive her home.

He responded that he "didn't do pornography and never had", adding that the allegation against him was "total lies and nonsense".

The prosecution asked if the woman was telling lies.

He said: "Yes."

He was then asked if all the women who gave evidence against him were telling lies.

He told the court: "I have not heard a single word of truth from any of them."

Lloyd-Lavery was then questioned about another allegation that had sexually assaulted another complainant who had gone on to tell her mother about the incident at the time.

The woman's 94-year-old mother gave evidence earlier in the trial.

He said: "They are all the same story. There's obviously collusion between them."

Later, the judge asked Lloyd-Lavery if he thought the 94-year-old woman was telling lies.

He said she was and she was saying what her daughter wanted her to say.

He said the women had been in touch with each other and that "typical of the kangaroo court that [social media] is turning into", they were doing so "to advance their own personal agendas".

He said social media can be used like some sort of a "private vendetta" and he had "become a victim of it".

The closing arguments of the case will be heard on Thursday before the jury is sent out to deliberate.

The trial continues.