Former St Colman’s Abbey PS principal Paul Dunleavy sentenced to further 10 years for abusing children

Former St Colman's Abbey Primary School principal Paul Dunleavy.

The former principal of the St Colman’s Abbey Primary School in Newry, who was convicted of historical child sex abuse, has been given a further 10 years in prison.

Paul Dunleavy, 89, of Glen Road in Belfast, was found guilty in September of 36 charges of historical sexual abuse against nine boys, aged between seven and 14, including indecent assault and gross indecency with or towards a child.

The offences were committed between 1964 and 1991 while the former Christian Brother worked at four schools in Belfast, Newry and Armagh.

As judge Patrick Lynch KC passed sentence at Belfast Crown Court as sentence on Thursday afternoon, Dunleavy briefly bowed his head in the dock.

Dunleavy is already serving a prison sentence, having been convicted previously on two separate occasions of sexual offences against children in his care. In total, he has been convicted of 72 counts involving 18 victims across three trials.

Judge Lynch KC said the prison term would commence at the end of his current sentence in May 2026.

Sentencing, the judge told the court that Dunleavy felt he could conduct his predatory behaviour with impunity.

"In this case the world would have been in a better place had he not served a lifetime in religious and public service," he said.

"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 desertion in droves by the formerly devout people of this island."

He continued: "The court, during the trial, received a graphic picture of the accused as a large, robust man, nothing like the reduced figure now before the court.

"An intimidating figure because of his physical presence, dressed all in black, striding school corridors and rooms, with the double authority of teacher/headmaster and priest.

"A bully confident in his own position, assuming that no one would dare to report his crimes.

"It is a sad reflection of those times that he felt he was able to conduct his predatory behaviour with impunity."

Judge Lynch KC said that Dunleavy's "persistent denials of guilt" came down to a "malign stubbornness" to admit to those who still support him, including some members of his family, that he is a "child molester".