41-year old tells trial of his 'embarrassment' when teacher stripped in front of him

66-year old Gerald King denies using lewd and libidinous practices towards four boys and two girls at a primary school in Glasgow in the 80s

Published 28th Nov 2018

A schoolboy was "embarrassed" when his football coach stripped naked in front of him, a court heard. A 41-year-old man claimed his school football coach Gerald King stripped in front of him on two separate occasions before football matches.

The man was shown two pictures that showed him without any clothes, taken on a day the school team won a football league in the 1980s.

In one picture he was with other boys in showers, and the word ‘censored’ was printed over their private parts and in the second picture it was taken as another boy appeared to pull a towel off him.

King, 66, from Springburn, is on trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court accused of using lewd and libidinous practices towards four boys and two girls at a primary school in the north of Glasgow between August 1, 1983 and June 30, 1989.

He also faces a charge of taking or permitting to be taken, indecent images of children on various occasions between January 1987 and December 1988 at Barrowfield football park at the city’s London road.

The court heard the man played for the school football team when he went to the school where King was a teacher and the football coach.

He said King asked him to take on the responsibility of carrying his bag, that he would do when another boy wasn’t there.

The witness claimed that on two occasions on a Saturday before a game, he carried King’s bag to the area of the school where he got changed.

He said King undressed in front him and asked the then-schoolboy for items of clothes from his bag.

Procurator fiscal depute Adele Macdonald asked: ‘Was he aware that you were standing there?”

He replied "Yes" and she asked: “What makes you say that?”

The witness replied: “He would ask me for something out of his bag.”

Miss Macdonald continued: “How did you feel when you were standing there and he was in front of you in the same room naked?”

He answered: “Embarrassed.”

A school magazine from when the man was in the football team was shown to the jury which included a team picture.

Another picture showing four boys in a shower without clothes on, and the word ‘censored’ over their private parts, was also shown.

The witness confirmed which boy he was in that picture and said King took it.

Miss Macdonald asked: “How did you feel when that photograph was being taken, at the time?”

The man said: “Nothing, to be honest, there was always a camera.

“We were happy, we had just won the league, we weren’t focusing on the camera.”

A second picture was shown to the jury of the man as a schoolboy with no clothes on and he told the court King took the picture.

He said King - who taught him for a couple of his school years - gave him the photograph, along with other team pictures, to take home with him.

During cross-examination by defence counsel Gavin Anderson, the witness confirmed the two pictures taken of the boys in the shower and the one of him with no clothes, were taken on the same day that the team won the league.

Mr Anderson asked if in the photograph that he is the only person naked, that another person in the picture “appears to be pulling a towel” off of him.

The man replied: “It looks that way.”

He also put to the witness that King was never naked in front of him, but he said "No".

The court heard the witness who has two children that both went to the school King taught at, and one of them was taught by him.

Jurors also heard both children took part in football training at the school also.

King denies the charges and the trial before sheriff Johanna Johnston QC continues.