Teen denies lying to sex trial about violin tutor’s behaviour

Charges: Brian Bergin A TEENAGER who has accused her former violin teacher of behaving in a sexual manner towards her during violin lessons yesterday denied that she had lied while giving evidence at the trial.

Four girls claim that Brian Bergin from Brookhill in the Culmore Road area of Londonderry committed a total of eight sexual offences against them between August 2011 and May 2014.

The 60-year-old denies committing the offences in two local primary schools. He was suspended from his job as a violin teacher with the Western Education and Library Board in August 2014.

The jury at Derry Crown Court was told that the offences allegedly occurred when the girls were aged between nine and 11.

Under cross-examination by defence barrister Ciaran Mallon QC, one of the girls admitted that she had made her statement of complaint to police after she had been made aware that another girl in the same primary school had already done so.

She alleged that on one occasion the defendant had told her to do the splits almost to floor level, which hurt her legs and caused her to temporarily lose her balance.

She said her tutor’s actions towards her had made her feel uncomfortable.

The girl admitted telling her mother a different version of events, and she did not remember telling police that she had told two school friends about the alleged abuse.

Mr Mallon accused her of lying and said “any contact at all was made in the context of a music teacher correcting your posture”.

Meanwhile, a third teenager told the jury that the defendant, asked her to stand with her legs apart. She said the defendant asked her on three or four occasions during the one class to part her legs wider.

“He did not say why, he only asked me to do that. It was physically uncomfortable, especially when you were playing the violin as well,” she said.

The trial continues.