In August 2000, the 68-year-old former primary school teacher Daniel Patrick Eccles, with an address in Granemore Road, Tassagh, near Keady in south Armagh, was jailed for six years for the sex abuse of eight boys dating back nearly four decades to 1975 and 1976.
In Belfast Crown Court on Tuesday, Judge Gordon Kerr QC told Eccles the issue in the present case was whether or not he should serve a further period of imprisonment.
Judge Kerr said whilst any abused youngster suffered harm, he considered in this case that there was no evidence of additional harm being caused to the two victims. He added that he had been given no victim impact reports, nor any medical evidence on them.
“That being the case, I have decided not to impose further custody in this case,” said Judge Kerr who suspended Eccles’ sentence of two and a half years for two years.
In May the disgraced teacher pleaded guilty to a total of 15 charges, including 13 of indecent assault on two boys, and two of gross indecency of one of the boys, dating from April 1976 to July 1977.
Last week, prosecution lawyer Tessa Kitson said the sexual abuse of the two boys in this case, mirrored the abuse of the other youngsters who were also in his P4 class.
Ms Kitson said this included touching the boys both outside and inside their clothing, and in one case attempting to get one of the boys to touch him. She also revealed that Eccles would sometimes carry out the abuse in class behind his upturned desk top.
The lawyer added that one of his victims in this case had not come forward in the past because he wanted to wait until his mother had died, while the other had reported being just too embarrassed.
Aside from this, Ms Kitson said that it was still open to the court to add to Eccles previous sentence consecutively.
Eccles, said Ms Kitson, had been in an obvious position of trust, was an adult and much older than his victims who were children unable to defend or stand up for themselves.
Defence QC Frank O’Donoghue said he firstly wanted to apologise on behalf of his client Eccles for his conduct toward his vulnerable two victims while he was in a position of trust.
Mr O’Donoghue said that while Eccles had not pleaded at the outset, it was expressly made clear guilty pleas would follow, for which he was entitled to significant and substantial credit.
The defence lawyer said had these two other victims come forward in the past, in what was a high profile case, it would have been unlikely that Eccles would have received a higher sentence.
Mr O’Donoghue said the original sentencing judge took an overall view of the case, dealing with a course of conducted by Eccles.
He also told Judge Kerr it was also in his gift to temper justice with mercy in dealing with offences committed almost 40 years ago, by a man now almost in his 70’s.
March 2015
Paedophile teacher admits further child sexual abuse
A self-confessed paedophile teacher jailed almost 15 years ago for a series of historical sex abuse charges, was back in court on Monday to plead guilty to similar charges involving other pupils from the same west Belfast school.
In August 2000, the 68-year-old former primary school teacher Daniel Patrick Eccles, with an address in Granemore Road, Tassagh, near Keady in south Armagh, was jailed for six years for the sex abuse of 12 boys dating back nearly four decades to 1975 and 1976.
On Monday at Belfast Crown Court, the softly spoken Eccles pleaded guilty to a total of 15 charges, including 13 of indecent assault on two boys, and two of gross indecency of one of the boys, dating from April 1976 to July 1977. Three other charges were not proceeded with.
No details surrounding either of the abuse cases was given to the court during the short arraignment hearing.
However, Belfast Recorder, Judge David McFarland told Eccles: “You have pleaded guilty to certain matters and there are consequences”, which included being placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register.
Judge McFarland said while the former teacher may have been on the register in the past, he also told Eccles, “at this stage the period will be for five years, however, following your sentencing you will be advised of the exact period”.
Eccles was released on continuing bail for completion of a number of reports before sentencing, which was fixed for 8 May.
November 2000
School apology over sex abuse teacher
A west Belfast school has apologised to pupils who endured “systematic” sexual abuse by a teacher 25 years ago.
Daniel Eccles, 54, from Tassagh, near Keady, County Armagh was jailed for six years on Thursday, after pleading guilty to 44 offences against 12 boys at St Aidan’s Primary School in Whiterock.
Belfast Crown Court heard that Eccles, a teacher at the school from 1967 until 1986, committed the offences between September 1973 and June 1977. They involved boys aged seven and eight.
He admitted 37 charges of indecent assault, five of gross indecency and two of inciting a child to commit acts of indecency.
In a statement following the sentencing, an apology was issued by Sean McGuickian, on behalf of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools and the Board of Governor’s of St Aidan’s Primary School.
He said they “deeply regretted the hurt and pain” caused to the pupils by Mr Eccles and “wished to extend their sincere sympathies to them and their families”.
“The abhorrent actions of Mr Eccles breached the fundamental trust the whole of society righty places in the teaching profession.
“Regretfully, the actions of a small number of teachers like Mr Eccles detracts from the highest standards of service and care that schools, through teachers provide.”
The court heard that some of the offences occurred in the classroom when Eccles called a boy to his desk.
He sexually abused him after ordering the other children to put their heads down on their own desks.
The Director of Public Prosecutions is considering further charges following allegations by four more pupils against Eccles for offences allegedly committed in the 1970s.
An RUC detective constable told the court that an investigation was currently being conducted in yet further allegations of sexual abuse against other teachers in the school during the 1970s.
Passing sentence, Lord Justice Nicholson said that the accused’s actions were “more widespread and involved systematic abuse of vulnerable boys”.
He said Eccles was “in a position of trust and he breached that trust”.
He ordered Eccles to sign the Sex Offenders Register and said his name should remain on it indefinitely.
He also said that upon his release from prison he would be subject to a 12 month probation order.
Police initially launched an investigation in 1994 when a former pupil made allegations of sexual abuse.
Eccles was interviewed and denied the accusations and the Director of Public Prosecutions ordered there be no action taken as there was no corroborating evidence.
However, the case was re-opened last year when further former pupils came forward with allegations.
The court heard there was no evidence that the abuse had continued beyond the period during the 1970s.
Prosecuting counsel Stephen Fowler said the abuse was “a daily occurrence” and became progressively more serious.
Defence counsel Terry McDonald QC, in his plea of mitigation, said his client was “no longer a threat to society”.
He said by pleading guilty he had spared his victims the ordeal of going into the witness box.
Passing sentence, Lord Justice Nicholson said he realised only too well the victims may feel “betrayed” by what they would consider the leniency of the sentence.
But he urged them not to have feelings of vengeance or hatred.
He said of Eccles: “His life, his reputation and his character have been destroyed even without a sentence.”
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