Paul Dunleavy gets another ten years in jail for "predatory" abuse

A former Christian Brother had a ten-year sentence imposed today (Thursday) for historic sex offences against young school boys.

Today marks the third time 89-year old Paul Dunleavy has been sentenced for sexual abuse, having been found guilty following three separate trials.

After sentences were imposed for the two former trials, Dunleavy, of Glen Road in west Belfast, was due to be released in May 2026. The ten-year term handed down today will commence in May 2026 - and as Dunleavy has been given a life expectancy of four years, he will die behind bars.

At the conclusion of the third trial this September, a jury at Belfast Crown Court found Dunleavy guilty of 33 counts of indecent assault, one of attempted buggery and two counts of gross indecency.

Passing sentence for these offences today, Judge Patrick Lynch KC told Dunleavy, formerly of the Glen Road in west Belfast: “Despite all the appalling harm perpetrated upon your victims all those years ago, you insisted on having them re-traumatised by having to relive their experiences in court in front of total strangers.”

As some of those affected by Dunleavy’s abuse sat in the public gallery, Judge Lynch paid tribute to them for their bravery in coming forward and giving evidence.

He said: “The court can only hope that this trial and consequent convictions will provide some sense of closure for them.”

The offences were committed on dates between 1964 and 1991 against nine male complainants while Dunleavy worked as either a teacher or headmaster at four schools in Belfast, Newry, Co Down and Co Armagh. Dunleavy was a teacher at Armagh Christian Brothers Primary School between 1960 and 1966.

He later moved to the Abbey Christian Brothers Primary School in Newry from 1966 to 1973 before returning to the school in 1987 as headmaster until his retirement in 1998.

Dunleavy also taught at St Aiden’s Christian Brothers Primary school off the Whiterock Road in west Belfast between 1973-77 later becoming its headmaster between 1980 and 1985. He was also headmaster at Gortnamona Secondary School in west Belfast between 1985-87.

The jury heard evidence from the nine victims in the case who were called forward by the prosecution to give their testimony. One victim was in his 11 Plus year at Armagh Christian Brothers Primary School around 1965/66.

‘Boy A’ told police that Dunleavy took him to the showers in a nearby secondary school where he was “told to strip off and take a shower” while the defendant watched.

The victim claimed Dunleavy would then “dry him off” before sexually abusing him. He told police that this happened “on a regular basis”.

‘Boy A’ claimed that Dunleavy sometimes taught him and when that happened he would be held back after class and sexually abused. Other victims were abused by Dunleavy in the headmaster’s office, in a school store room and in the parochial house.

Whilst one victim recalled being told to “pick a bar of chocolate and go back to class”, after being subjected to sexual abuse, another victim told the jury how he was “beaten to a pulp” and sexually abused by the “evil, evil, evil man”.

At the beginning of the trial, senior prosecutor Neil Connor KC told the jury: “You will hear that the defendant is a convicted child sexual abuser. You will hear that he was convicted on two separate occasions of a series of sexual offences against children in his care at a number of schools where he taught.”

During the course of a plea and sentencing hearing last week, Mr Connor said that publicity around the previous convictions had led to further victims coming forward.

He added: “This was a substantial, complicated investigation involving a number of victims. This is the largest in terms of the number of victims. Nine in this case, 18 in total.”

Defence barrister Gary McHugh KC said: “The most obvious feature I would invite the court to have regard to is the defendant’s age. Clearly this defendant is going to be in prison well into his mid to late 90s and the very real prospect is that this defendant may die in prison.

“There may be those who say so be it, but it is not as clear cut as the punitive component of the sentencing exercise.”

As he imposed the ten-year sentence today, Judge Lynch said: “In this case, the world would have been a better place had he not served a lifetime in religious and public service. His teaching career has been littered with the shattered psyches of his victims.

“The church he purports to serve has been vilified because of the actions of this man and his ilk, characterised by loss of religious faith, of trust and its desertion in droves by the formerly devout people of this island.”

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