The sentencing of a teacher for sex offences against female pupils has been adjourned as his lawyers seek an expert medical report on his risk of suffering a stroke.
William-Lloyd Lavery (77) was due to be sentenced on March 3, 2026, after he was found guilty of indecently assaulting six pupils at a south Belfast all-girls grammar school in the 1970s.
The guilty verdicts were returned in January this year after a two-week trial.
Following the verdicts, a barrister for Lloyd-Lavery (77), of Richmond Avenue in Lisburn, asked Judge Patrick Lynch KC if his client could be released on continuing bail ahead of sentencing.
The defence barrister said this was to allow Lloyd-Lavery an opportunity to get his affairs in order.
Saying a term of imprisonment was “likely”, Judge Lynch granted bail and said that ahead of sentencing, both probation and medical reports should be sought.
The Judge told the defence the latter report was required as “any medications the defendant is on should be available” as the Prison Service would need to be informed.
In court on Wednesday, defence barrister Aaron Thompson said they had received a medical report from a consultant cardiologist into the current state of Lloyd-Lavery’s health.
He told Judge Lynch: “As Your Honour knows, Mr Lloyd-Lavery is a 77-year-old man and he has acute hypertension and other health issues.’
’He said his instructing solicitor Pearse MacDermott had consulted with an expert in England to “comment on the risk of stroke to Mr Lloyd-Lavery given his particular serious health complaints”.
Following the legal submissions, Judge Lynch set a new plea and sentence hearing for Thursday, March 26.
All the charges related to a period spanning from August 31, 1975 and July 1, 1979, when Lloyd-Lavery worked as a history teacher at Richmond Lodge College on Belfast’s Malone Road.
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