School welfare officer's sex offence trial begins

A school welfare officer abused his "position of authority and trust" to sexually abuse teenage girls, a court has been told.

Neil Beckett, of Kilmore near Crossgar in County Down, is accused of 29 sex offences.

The 43-year-old, whose trial began on Thursday at Belfast Crown Court, denies all the charges against him.

He was working at Lagan College in south Belfast when some of the alleged offences occurred.

The charges against him also include the rape of a teenage Army cadet, which allegedly took place while Mr Beckett was working as an Army cadet leader.

The charges span a decade—between 2013 and 2023—and involve 11 alleged victims.

Nine of the complainants were school pupils when the offences were said to have occurred.

Two were young Army cadets at a time when, prior to taking up his job at Lagan College, Mr Beckett served as an Army Cadets leader.

In addition to the rape allegation, Mr Beckett denies 26 sexual assault allegations, one count of sexual grooming, and one count of sexual communication with a child.

Opening the case at Belfast Crown Court on Thursday, a prosecution barrister said Mr Beckett's conduct was "not only wholly inappropriate with these young people, it was also criminal".

"That’s what we’re asking you to make your decision on," he told the jury.

“He was in a position of authority and trust.”

The alleged rape is said to have taken place at some point between 2013 and 2015.

The complainant said it happened in her parents’ living room when they were not at home.

In a recorded interview with police, which was shown to the court, the alleged victim said her family had been experiencing difficulties and that she had been in a vulnerable position.

At the time of the attack, she said the defendant arrived at her parents’ house and told her he wanted to check to see how she was.

She said he then started to force himself on to her by kissing her.

“He was bigger than I was. I didn’t have a lot of fight to get him off,” she said.

The alleged victim said the defendant began to touch her before proceeding to take his trousers down and have sex with her.

“I kept telling him to stop. I remember a lot of crying and like, ‘Why are you doing this?’

"He just kept going,” she said.

The court heard that when Mr Beckett was interviewed by police, he denied anything had happened.

He told officers that while he knew the complainant, he had no relationship with her and had never been to her house.

The alleged offences concerning two then-young Army cadets happened before Mr Beckett took up his role at Lagan College.

Twenty-one of the 29 sex offence charges that Mr Beckett faces concern nine school pupils.

The court heard that the alleged offences included unwanted “bear hugs,"  tickling, and patting of thighs.

According to the prosecution barrister, one of the complainants described “inappropriate hugs,” including when the defendant’s “hands were under her blazer wrapped around her tightly, pressed against her”.

The court heard that another complainant described “a long hug with his hands near her bottom, leaning in as if he was trying to kiss her".

It was said that the girl "felt he was burying his head in as if trying to smell her hair”.

The barrister said that Mr Beckett denies everything, saying “he did not hug anyone".

"In fact, he did not like hugs. He was not a hugger."

Mr Beckett is currently suspended from his post of health and wellbeing officer at Lagan College.

The trial continues.