Sex attack claims are ‘made up’, ex-deputy head tells trial
AFORMER primary school deputy headteacher accused of carrying out sex attacks on 25 young girls and subjecting two boys to acts of cruelty has told a jury that all the allegations are ‘made up’.
Grahame Brennand, 70, is standing trial accused of committing historic indecent assault and cruelty offences over two decades while he was teaching at Baxenden St John’s CE Primary School.
He denies the claims made against him.
Prosecutors claim Mr Brennand ‘inappropriately’ and sexually touched the young girls.
Speaking from the witness box while being cross examined by prosecutor Robert Golinski, Brennand said of the 27 alleged victims and prosecution witnesses: “They are all lying, not me.”
Preston Crown Court heard that a consistent pattern of behaviour had been established by numerous alleged victims.
Mr Golinski said: “Among the common features of the evidence are that you treated boys and girls differently, you had favourites among the girls and you invaded girls’ personal space to indecently touch them.
“You were known as tactile and touchy feely and several of the girls have described how you would position yourself with both your arms over their shoulders, lean into them.”
Brennand, who lived in a bungalow close to the school during much of the period covered by the indictment, said: “From standing at the back of a chair it is physically impossible to do that against them.
“It did not and could not happen.”
Testimony from alleged victims also included allegations that he would sit girls on his knee.
When asked if all the girls and boys had made the allegations up he replied ‘yes they have’.
The court heard that other members of staff at the school who worked alongside Brennand during the period in question characterised him as ‘a bit of a loner who did not take part in school culture’.
Brennand replied that they were wrong about this and that he didn’t mix with the other teachers at lunch time in the staff room because he was out on the playing fields playing football and cricket with the male pupils.
Brennand, who lived in the Hyndburn area for 40 years and now lives in Preston, denies 48 counts of indecent assault and four counts of cruelty.
PROCEEDING