The survivor of a paedophile head teacher who sexually abused him and another boy has spoken of how his life was destroyed by the predator.
Stephen Lavery, 70, began abusing the once-promising footballer when he was in primary school, until he moved onto secondary school.
Now in his 30s, the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has broken his silence about his ordeal at the hands of Lavery.
“I just went completely off the rails after all that happened,” he said.
“I turned to drink and drugs, I couldn’t hold down a job.
“Every time something good happened I would just go into self-destruct mode.
“It took me a long time to speak to someone about it and I finally told my mate about it in 2016.
“I was wanting to take my own life and I ended up getting help at the Carseview Centre.
“People’s lives have been destroyed by what he did.”
‘He was sneaky, he was underhanded’
The depraved former head teacher is facing prison after he admitted at Dundee Sheriff Court to abusing the two boys between May 1988 and July 1993.
It was revealed how one of the boys had previously complained about Lavery’s abuse but no action was ever taken.
The man, from Dundee, said Lavery would bring him into his office at the city primary school he attended under the false pretence of discussing football.
He would then abuse him on a weekly basis and often coerce him into talking about engaging in sex acts with other boys.
“I honestly didn’t understand what had happened until I got to secondary,” he said.
“I was going from getting good grades to being expelled from school.
“He would put words in your mouth and get you to say things that he wanted to hear.
“He was sneaky, he was underhanded.”
Still seeking help decades later
Lavery, who was also a football scout, pled guilty to using lewd, indecent or libidinous practices towards him between August 1990 and July 1993.
The pensioner, of Somerville Place East, committed similar abuse between May 1988 and July 1990 while he was an assistant head teacher at another school.
In 1995, Lavery was placed on probation for three years for sexually abusing two boys between 1977 and 1980 while working as a teacher.
Ahead of Lavery’s sentencing next month, his victim said he now feels “nothing” about his abuser and urged any other victims of sexual crimes to reach out for support.
He added: “I ended up on the edge and nearly committing suicide but I’m seeing a psychiatrist and a psychologist now.
“I don’t feel anything about him now.
“He changed everything, I didn’t trust anybody.
“I would urge anybody in a similar position to go and seek help, speak to somebody.
“Don’t feel ashamed, it’s not your fault.
“I went to groups, the Dundee mental health team get a lot of criticism but they really helped me a lot.
“If I can save just one life by speaking out about this then I’d be over the moon with that.
“He has got away with this for so long, he deserves to go to jail.
“He shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it and he needs to pay the price.”
- Agencies which can help people who have suffered sexual abuse of this type include NAPAC, Victim Support Scotland, Rape Crisis Scotland and Police Scotland.
