Ex Ayrshire school workers given total of 28 years in jail for long campaign of sexual abuse
Former art teacher, Matthew George, 73, and ex-care worker John Muldoon, 69, were today sentenced after a six-week trial in Glasgow’s High Court.
Two former workers at an Ayrshire residential school have been jailed for a second time after a string of new charges of sexual and physical abuse of ex-pupils.
Former art teacher, Matthew George, 73, and ex-care worker John Muldoon, 69 were today sentenced after a six-week trial in Glasgow’s High Court.
The pair were found guilty of physical and sexual abuse of 28 children at Kerelaw Residential school for troubled and vulnerable youths. There were 20 male victims and eight female victims.
The crimes spanned over a period of 28-years going as far back to 1975 until 2004.
Both George and Muldoon had had previously been jailed in 2006 having been found guilty of a number of similar offences in relation to pupils at the same school.
However, after more people came forward the pair stood trial again, which resulted in a total of 55 new charges – George with 39 of them, and Muldoon convicted of the other 16.
During the trial, the High Court heard 29 hours of video testimony from victims, with some speaking for more than three hours as they recounted the experience they suffered at the school.
Six of the victims had died before being able to give evidence, but prosecutors were able to use their prior police statements and read them to the court for the jury.
At the High Court in Dundee on Friday 13 January, George was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment, and Muldoon was jailed for 12 years.
Fraser Gibson, Scotland’s Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, said the case demonstrated the Crown’s commitment to ensuring the voices of victims were heard.
He said: “The two accused were in positions of trust for many years. They abused that trust over and over again.
“The victims bravely came forward to tell what happened to them in childhood within a school environment where they should have been safe. They endured traumatising experiences which damaged their adult lives.
“Our skilled prosecutors were able to use special measures for these vulnerable witnesses, to ease as much as possible, the process of giving evidence.
“At COPFS we are determined to use every tool at our disposal in the pursuit of justice and to support victims through the system in every way we can.
“I would urge any victim of similar offending, no matter how long ago, to come forward, report it and seek help.”