Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry: Convicted child abuser was 'father figure'

Paul Kelly, on the left, and John Farrell were jailed for abusing pupils at St Ninian's in Fife

A former teacher claims a convicted child abuser was like a "father figure" to children at a former Fife school.

Chris Brown, 77, told the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry that he had doubts about allegations made against two men who worked at St Ninian's in Falkland.

Paul Kelly and John Farrell were jailed in August 2016 for abusing vulnerable pupils in the late 1970s and 80s.

They were members the Congregation of Christian Brothers, the Catholic order which ran the residential school.

St Ninian's is the subject of the latest phase of the child abuse inquiry.

• Boys abused younger children at school

• Boy abused by school religious brothers

• Boys raped by priests at 'satanic parties'

Mr Brown said he worked at the school for about four months from September 1981 and he described the religious brothers as being "walking saints" for the "good work" they did.

The witness said: "(Kelly) was kind of a father figure for those kids - they respected him.

"He had such good control, he was a good disciplinarian. He had a heart of gold with them. These are my memories - he didn't stand any messing."

St Ninian's is the focus of the latest stage of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry

On Farrell, he said he would be "surprised" if allegations made against him were true.

The witness added: "I can't imagine someone being like that with kids, I don't even know the allegations."

Farrell, from Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, was the headmaster at the school. He was jailed for five years for three counts of indecent assault following a trial in 2016.

Children in room

Kelly, from Plymouth, Devon, was sentenced to 10 years for four counts of indecent assault and two assault charges.

Mr Brown was also questioned about whether he was aware of children sleeping in Kelly's room, which he said he was.

He added: "It's a most unusual situation, you wouldn't have that nowadays.

"Paul Kelly was a really good person and he would be doing it through goodness and nothing else."

The witness admitted he had written his statement to the inquiry while he was angered about convictions against the men.

He denied ever being aware of a child being physically punished or sexually assaulted.

Mr Brown said: "In my own mind I have my doubts about their conviction because I know (Kelly) as such a good person - I don't know him as anything else."

Inappropriate behaviour

Meanwhile, another witness recalled asking Kelly about why he looked tired.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, worked at the institution during the early 1980s.

He said: "I said something along the lines of, 'Did you not get any sleep last night?'

"His reply was, 'You wouldn't either if you had (the children) in your room all the time'."

The witness, now in his 60s, said he told him he did not think that behaviour was appropriate.

St Ninian's opened in January 1951 and closed in July 1983.

The inquiry, before judge Lady Smith, continues in Edinburgh on Thursday.