A TEACHER convicted of further sex abuse charges involving pupils at a west Belfast school where he once taught, has escaped being jailed for a second time.
Daniel Eccles (68), who was convicted last week of abusing two more pupils from St Aidan's primary, had previously been jailed for abuse against pupils at the same school.
In August 2000 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.
Yesterday Belfast Crown Court Judge Gordon Kerr QC told Eccles he would suspend his 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.
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.
He also told Judge Kerr it was in his gift to temper justice with mercy in dealing with offences committed almost 40 years ago, by a man now almost in his 70s.
