Teacher abused pupils in dark room, court told

The students Jonathan O'Brien allegedly abused while teaching at a school near Kidderminster and a school in Oxfordshire, during the 1980s, were 'clever, slim, blond, blue-eyed, sporty boys', the jury was told.

Mr O'Brien used his charm and good looks to attract his victims, making them believe he was 'sharing a secret' with them rather than 'forcing something on them', Chichester Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor John Causer told the court that O'Brien was a 'charming, convivial and attractive man outside of the school environment' and was someone who would 'easily dazzle those he met'.

Mr Causer said the Mr O'Brien O'Brien, 55, of Fairfield Road, Bosham, West Sussex, denies 23 counts of indecent assault and five counts of gross indecency, allegedly committed between March 1982 and July 1988, involving 12 boys aged between 10 and 16.

Mr Causer said: "Both are high achieving academic schools and most of the pupils went on to great success in life."

He said that when some of the pupils realised that what was happening was not right and they became unwilling, O'Brien left them alone.

Mr Causer said the dark room was ideal for what O'Brien wanted as it was the only room at the Worcestershire school which had a lock on the door and a warning sign outside.

He said: "The photography was the pretence. In fact, many of the boys did not use a camera at all. The dark room was a private place where he could lock the door and abuse pupils."

The court heard O'Brien would exploit friendships between pupils, use extra tuition sessions to get one-to-one contact with his victims, as well as ingratiating himself with the boys' families.

The jury heard that some of the pupils moved from the school near Kidderminster to the Oxfordshire school where O'Brien also got a job as a housemaster.

He left abruptly during a half-term in 1989 after one of the boys confided in other pupils and his parents, the jury was told.

Paul Keddie, another housemaster at the school, was aware of the complaint which had been made about O'Brien, but chose to wash his hands of it, the court heard.

Mr Causer said one of the victims was contacted by the school in 1996 and asked about the abuse but no further action was taken at that stage. He said many of the alleged victims had suffered psychological consequences including becoming irrationally violent and not being able to relate to other people, the court heard.

The trial continues.