Paul Dunleavy: Ex-pupil says he was abused by ‘evil’ headmaster

After six months to a year, he stopped going to school altogether.

“He was a bad, bad man. He destroyed me, he destroyed my school,” the former pupil said.

“I was only a boy. Back then you just got on, you didn’t know any better, now I know, he ruined my life.”

Defence barrister Gary McHugh KC cross-examined the complainant about when he made the initial complaint to the police.

He asked him why he did not tell any medical personnel he had been seeing about his mental health in the 1990s or 2000s about the alleged abuse.

“I can’t answer that,” he said. “I don’t know.”

Mr McHugh asked: “Did you make up the complaint?”

“No, you’re wrong, it happened,” he said.

Mr McHugh said: “Paul Dunleavy denies any of this – beating you, sexually assaulting you. I put it to you that you have invented these allegations to sue people for money.”

The complainant replied: “Definitely not, it happened.”

The trial continues.