Former teacher to appeal conviction over sex crimes at Fife school
A shamed teacher jailed for abusing pupils at a former catholic-run school in Fife is appealing his conviction.
A shamed teacher jailed for abusing pupils at a former catholic-run school in Fife is appealing his conviction. Paul Kelly, 64, was caged for 10 years after he and head teacher John Farrell 73, were convicted of sexual abuse against six pupils more than 30 years ago. The pair preyed on youngsters at St Ninian's in Falkland, Fife, which was run by the Christian Brothers organisation. Farrell was jailed for five years at the High Court in Glasgow, for his crimes. Earlier today, the judiciary department confirmed Kelly has lodged an appeal against his conviction. As the pair were led away to begin their sentences last month their victims and their families cheered and shouted: "Hope you enjoy every day of it " and "May God do to you what you did to others." Jailing them, Lord Matthews told Farrell and Kelly: "St Ninian's List G school was meant to be, not only an educational establishment, but a haven for children in need of care and protection and a place of guidance for them. "You were entrusted by the community and the Church with those duties of education, care, protection and guidance. "You fulfilled these duties as far as a number of children were concerned and you were each acquitted of the vast majority of the charges which you faced. "Nevertheless the jury found you guilty of a number of gross abuses of the trust placed in you in relation to some of the most vulnerable members of our society, children from difficult backgrounds with no effective voice." The vulnerabilities to which all victims were already subject were plainly greatly exacerbated by the revolting abuse to which they were subjected at St Ninian's and itis no exaggeration to say that their whole lives have been blighted by what went on." Both Farrell and Kelly continue to deny abusing boys at the school. The pair abused the boys - many who already had a chaotic upbringing and whom they should have been protecting - to satisfy their depraved needs. Farrell, who was the headmaster, was convicted of sexually abusing three others. Kelly was found guilty of sexually abusing three boys. One of the victims was sexually abused by both men on different occasions. The victims were abused between 1979 and 1983 when they were aged between 11 and 15. The jury heard harrowing claims of how boys were left traumatised by their ordeals at the List G school. The paedophiles cheated justice for decades – with Farrell even going on to become a priest. But, the tenacity of one victim – determined to see the pair in the dock – sparked a huge police probe into the abuse. This man, who was sexually abused by Farrell, refused to give up and an investigation was finally launched after he went to the Archdiocese and made a formal complaint in 2013. The probe uncovered many more complainers. Farrell and Kelly were convicted after a 13-week trial of a total of 11 charges involving six victims both placed on the sex offenders register.