Lagan College: Pupil ‘creeped out’ by school welfare officer

Under cross-examination, a defence barrister for Mr Beckett told the complainant he denied having “any physical contact” with her.

The defence barrister told the complainant that the hug “didn’t happen”, to which the complainant said it did.

“I was there, I don’t have any reason to lie about it,” she said.

“I know it happened. I confided in my best friend about it.”

The barrister said Mr Beckett’s position was that he had “no memory of being alone” with the complainant in his office.

The barrister said Mr Beckett would have found it “very difficult” to lift the complainant in the way that she described because he had a “weakness in his arm and he wears a cast”.

The complainant rejected this, telling the court: “He was quite easily able to pick me up and hold me up for a number of seconds.”

The barrister added that there had been gossip in the school about Mr Beckett and that the complainant had made up her claims to involve herself.

“I’m going to suggest there was a load of gossip and you decided to make this up and be part of the scandal as you saw it,” she said.

The complainant rejected this saying she “lived through” the events she had described, adding: “I’ve been made to feel uncomfortable by a trusted person in the school who was there for my welfare.”

The trial continues.