Pupil breaks down during welfare officer trial

A Lagan College pupil broke down in court as she recalled a school health and welfare officer touching her breasts, bottom and thighs.

The pupil told the court she “kind of froze".

Neil Beckett, 43, of Kilmore near Crossgar in County Down is accused of 29 sex offences against teenage girls.

Appearing on trial before Belfast Crown Court, he denies all the charges against him.

Mr Beckett was working at Lagan College in south Belfast at the time of some of the alleged offences.

The charges span a decade—between 2013 and 2023—and involve 11 alleged victims, nine of whom were pupils at Lagan College.

Two other victims were teenage Army cadets at a time when, prior to taking up his role at the school, Mr Beckett was an Army cadet leader.

Among the charges against him is an allegation of rape by one of the Army cadet complainants.

In court today, a pupil at Lagan College said “he would hug me and have his arms tight".

"His arms were underneath my breast or at the side of my breast," she said.

“I could feel everything. His stomach pressed against me. His hands were on my lower back.”

When asked to explain where Mr Beckett’s hands were on the pupil, she said: “He was rubbing his hands up and down, half way down to my bum."

The pupil said “it was weird", adding: "You never see a teacher hug a student.”

The court heard Mr Beckett rubbed the pupil's thighs.

“He would go from my knee to the bottom of my skirt and put his fingers on the bottom of my skirt."

When asked how many times this happened, the pupil replied: “Maybe 10 times.”

Mr Beckett’s barrister put it to the pupil that “Mr Beckett said none of this happened" and "he said he never hugged you”.

The pupil replied: “Well, he did.”

The barrister replied “are you making it up as you go along? To make this fit?", to which the pupil replied softly, “no”.

The pupil described her struggle with her mental health and told the court that Mr Beckett “was the only one who kind of listened” but his hugs were “very close and uncomfortable”.

The pupil then broke down and asked to take a break.

The trial continues.