Jury sent out in former teacher's indecent assault trial

Jurors in the trial of a former teacher charged with indecently assaulting six girls at a south Belfast school in the 1970s have retired to consider their verdict.

William Lloyd-Lavery, 77, of Richmond Avenue in Lisburn, is accused of nine counts of indecent assault between 1974 and 1979.

The alleged offences date back to when Lloyd-Lavery was a history teacher at Richmond Lodge school, which no longer exists.

He denies the charges.

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During closing arguments at Belfast Crown Court on Thursday, a prosecution barrister said to the jury that having heard all the evidence they should have "no difficulty" concluding that all of the alleged offences were indecent assault.

She said they had heard evidence from one complainant who accused the former teacher of fiddling with her hair and running his hand up and down her back.

She said "on the other end of the scale" two other complainants had accused Lloyd-Lavery of sexually assaulting them.

The prosecution lawyer said Lloyd-Lavery denied all of the offences and had accused the six complainants of telling lies when he gave evidence to the court yesterday.

The lawyer said: "I suggest they've told you the truth about what happened to them."

The lawyer told the jury if they accepted the "core allegations" made by the complainants then they should find the defendant guilty of all counts.

In his closing submissions, a defence barrister questioned why the complainants in the case had not come forward earlier.

He said a number of potential witnesses were now dead and added that the passage of time had created an "evidential deficit".

The defence lawyer also told the jury they had to be "satisfied beyond reasonable doubt" in respect of the allegations.

He told the jury the former teacher had "answered every question that the police asked".

He added that the accused also "answered every question without provocation that he was asked by me, but more appropriately at cross examination".

The lawyer said when Lloyd-Lavery's wife gave evidence she was "passionate about her belief in his innocence" and he invited the jury to return not guilty verdicts on all nine counts.

The judge told the jurors they must decide the case solely on the evidence heard during the course of the trial.