Third man jailed in abuse case

McKenna worked as a woodwork teacher at St Ninian's

A third former member of staff at a Stirlingshire school has been jailed for two years for abusing boys in his care.

The prison sentence for former woodwork teacher Charles McKenna, 83, came a day after two other men were given two year jail terms for abusing boys at St Ninian's school.

McKenna, who was found guilty of three charges of sexual abuse between 1976 and 1981, had consistently denied the charges against him despite a series of allegations from witnesses.

At the High Court in Forfar on Tuesday morning, Lord Carloway told McKenna that despite the offences being historic in nature, he had abused the boys while in a position of trust.

Hearing aid

On Monday, at the High Court in Edinburgh, Michael Murphy, 69, from Hampshire, was jailed after being found guilty at an earlier hearing of 10 offences of physical abuse, including giving electric shocks.

James McKinstrey, 70, from Stirling, a former night watchman at the school, was also jailed after being convicted of four counts of sex abuse.

McKenna could not be sentenced with his fellow accused because he had forgotten to take his hearing aid to court.

Before sentence, Frances Hughes, defending McKenna, told the court that her client, a WWII veteran from Stirling, had, with the exception of the court case, led a "largely useful life".

The crimes occurred at St Ninian's school

She said he had been praised by some staff and pupils at his former school for his guidance over the years.

But Ms Hughes added that, since the closure of the school, McKenna's life had become "largely solitary".

She said: "He appears to have few friends and even fewer interests in life."

The court heard that the case had placed considerable stress on McKenna.

"When he learned of the charges he collapsed and spent four days in hospital as a result," Ms Hughes said.

Before sentencing McKenna, Lord Carloway rejected a request to consider probation, telling him that it was "in the public interest" to impose a custodial sentence.

The length of the jail terms handed out to McKinstrey and Murphy appalled former pupils who attended the List D school for young boys with behavioural problems.

Some of them were in court on Monday to hear the sentences being given.

One man said a two year jail term was "diabolical" considering the crimes.

St Ninian's was run by monks from the de la Salle order, and closed in 1982.