Dramatic days in court as the evidence unfolds

A FREE MAN . . . Neil Carr leaves court with defence lawyer Marsha Myers

Trial timeline

MARCH 19

“Mr Carr is gay” — a chance remark by boys overheard by a school supervisor was what started the investigations. Further inquiries led to allegations in February last year, that the teacher had been sexually touching them, and within days, similar allegations were made by a third boy.

He faced 20 charges of sexual assault involving seven boys, who were around the age of eight at the time.

Lisa Boocock, prosecuting, said from the time Carr was first interviewed about the claims made against him, he had denied ever touching children inappropriately.



MARCH 20

A YOUNGSTER who claimed a teacher sexually assaulted him on numerous occasions, told a hushed courtroom he had been too frightened and embarrassed to speak out at the time.

The boy — one of seven who have made similar allegations — said he had felt scared to tell other teachers.

He said he was also afraid of confessing what was happening to his mum.

Marsha Myers, defending, suggested to the boy that he had only made the allegation about the teacher to his mum to stop her telling him off. She challenged him about an overheard remark he was alleged to have made in which he claimed: “I can ring ChildLine and get any teacher into trouble.”



MARCH 21

THE mother of a boy who sparked investigations was accused of taking matters into her own hands and “stirring up” parents of other youngsters.

The mum made an immediate complaint to the head of the school after her son told her on Valentine’s Day last year, what had been happening to him and to at least two other boys.

The court heard how the woman contacted one of the other mums, against the express wishes of the head, to pass on information.





MARCH 27

A YOUNG boy broke down sobbing as he gave evidence. The boy alleged the teacher touched him sexually five or six times — on each occasion after he put his hand up to ask for assistance.

Marsha Myers, defending, suggested that the boy had heard “silly” talk about the teacher being gay, had gone along with stories that he had heard from others. The boy told the court: “I’m not making it up. Why would I talk to the police otherwise?”



APRIL 5

Neil Carr confessed to a hushed courtroom that he had had a sexual relationship with an older relative as a youngster himself. Carr (25) said it began when he was seven or eight — around the same age as his alleged victims — and lasted for a number of years.

Mr Carr said he had been forced to admit to his “biggest secret” after evidence was produced by the prosecution in the case, revealing that while employed as a primary school teacher, he had trawled the internet for hours, searching for pictures of naked or near-naked boys.

When directly challenged on the alegations, he replied “no” clearly and firmly as each name was read out, ading “The accusations are ludicrous, and it would have been impossible to do it.”



APRIL 10

Neil Carr was accused of telling “a pack of lies” to explain his internet searches.

Lisa Boocock, prosecuting, said: “You were super-confident, super-charismatic, and super-rehearsed. “It was all an act wasn’t it?”

He denied he suggestion strongly: “If this was an act, do you think I would be putting my family through an experience like this?”



APRIL 12

BOYS who claimed they were touched by their male teacher in class were branded “liars” by their classmates. Young former pupils of Neil Carr broke down in tears as they gave evidence via videolink.

One girl explained how one of the seven boys making the allegations had influenced the behaviour of others.

The girls heaped praise on Mr Carr saying he was a ‘really good teacher’. Each pupil called to give evidence said they had not noticed the teacher doing anything untoward.



APRIL 13

AN entire school community was torn in two by the allegations. Jurors in the case heard the alleged touching divided parents between those believing the accusations and those standing by the teacher.

One by one, mothers of young girls took to the dock to support the defendant.

One suggested that should Carr be found not guilty, the children who had made the allegations should be removed from the school.



APRIL 16

Teaching staff cast doubt on claims their colleague had sexually touched young boys in his class.





APRIL 19

TEARS were shed during powerful closing speeches.

Marsha Myers, defending, tore into the parents of the young accusers, prompting one to wipe away the tears while listening from the public gallery.

She worked to discredit what she referred to as “malicious, Chinese whispers” that had spiralled out of contro.

She added that confusion, contradictions and inconsistencies exposed the young witnesses as liars.



APRIL 24

After a day and a half of deliberations the jury return not-guilty verdicts on four charges.



APRIL 25

AT 4.25pm on the third day of deliberations, the jury return six more not-guilty verdicts.



APRIL 26

Six more not-guilty verdicts after Judge Timothy Mort agreed to accept 10-2 majority verdicts.



APRIL 27

The final four not-guilty verdict - and Mr Carr walked free.