Account

The Actual News

Just the Facts, from multiple news sources.

'We were strangers until we helped bring a paedophile to justice'

'We were strangers until we helped bring a paedophile to justice'

Summary

Nicola Bannon and Lynne Darcy, along with four other women, helped bring their former history teacher, William Lloyd-Lavery, to justice for sexual abuse committed in the 1970s. Lloyd-Lavery was found guilty of six counts of indecent assault against girls aged 13 and 14 and sentenced to two years in prison.

Key Facts

  • William Lloyd-Lavery, a former teacher at Richmond Lodge school in Belfast, was found guilty in January 2026 of six counts of indecent assault.
  • The assaults took place between 1974 and 1979 and involved girls aged 13 and 14.
  • Nicola Bannon was the first to report Lloyd-Lavery to the police after seeing a news report about a previous acquittal involving him.
  • After contacting the police, Nicola reached out on a Facebook group, which led to six women coming forward with accusations.
  • Lynne Darcy was one of the survivors and testified about being assaulted in the same storeroom as Nicola.
  • Both Nicola and Lynne spoke publicly after court proceedings and described the guilty verdict as a positive outcome.
  • A character reference was given in court by David Campbell, noting concern about Lloyd-Lavery’s health if he received a prison sentence.
  • Lloyd-Lavery showed no remorse during the trial and denied guilt.
Read the Full Article

This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.