WIlliam Lloyd-Lavery’s lawyers are seeking an expert medical report on his risk of suffering a stroke
William Lloyd Lavery arriving at Laganside Courts(Image: Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)
The sentencing of a teacher for sex offences against female pupils has been adjourned as his lawyers seek an expert medical report on his risk of suffering a stroke, a court heard today (Wednesday). William-Lloyd Lavery was due to be sentenced on March 3, 2026, after he was found guilty at Belfast Crown Court of six counts of indecently assaulting six pupils at a south Belfast all-girls grammar school in the 1970s. The guilty verdicts by a jury of six men and six women were returned in January this year after a two-week trial. Following the verdicts, a barrister for Lloyd-Lavery (77), of Richmond Avenue in Lisburn, asked Judge Patrick Lynch KC if his client could be released on continuing bail ahead of sentencing. The defence barrister said this was 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. He told Lloyd-Lavery he needed to co-operate with Probation for the pre-sentence report ahead of sentencing. In court today (Wednesday), defence barrister Aaron Thompson said they had received a medical report from a consultant cardiologist into the current state of Lloyd-Lavery’s health. He told Judge Lynch: “As Your Honour knows, Mr Lloyd-Lavery is a 77-year-old man and he has acute hypertension and other health issues.” He said his instructing solicitor, Pearse MacDermott, had consulted with an expert in England to “comment on the risk of stroke to Mr Lloyd-Lavery given his particular serious health complaints”. Mr Thompson told the court that as there are no legal aid issues in the case, there would be a “quicker turnaround in obtaining a further expert medical report”. “Because of that quicker turnaround, we are hoping for a date for plea and sentence this side of the Easter recess,” added Mr Thompson. Following the legal submissions, Judge Lynch pencilled in the new plea and sentence hearing for Thursday, March 26, 2026. Prosecuting barrister Kate McKay said that victim impact statements had been recorded from a number of the complainants by the investigating police officer in the case, which would be available to the court ahead of sentencing. Judge Lynch said the victim impact statements are to be shared with the defence, adding: “If there are any problems bring them straight back to the court.” All the charges related 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 genitals 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 and then rubbed her groin over her school skirt.
A further complainant said she was reading a notice board outside the history classroom when the defendant came up behind her and “grabbed her bottom”.
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