4:00pm Friday 29th May 2009
The headteacher of a Pembrokeshire primary school has been warned that a jail sentence is "inevitable" after a jury convicted him of nine offences of sexually assaulting young girls.
David Bryan Thorley, aged 56, was cleared of two similar charges.
A large group of supporters packed into Swansea crown court. But many broke down in tears as the jury foreman announced the verdicts.
Thorley himself stood expressionless as he received the verdicts, and as Judge Michael Burr told him he could not imagine anything other than a custodial sentence.
But he was willing to adjourn sentence until a probation officer had prepared a report into his background. The sentencing hearing will be at the end of June or early July.
After today's hearing Thorley was surrounded by weeping women who appeared shocked at the outcome of the trial.
The jury had heard how Thorley had what the prosecution described as "an unhealthy interest" in young girls and that he had abused his position to sexually assault them.
Thorley had, under the pretext of applying medicinal cream or taking them to the toilet, taken down their trousers and underwear and touched them intimately.
Thorley was also convicted of sexually assaulting two young girls after taking them swimming.
Thorley denied all the allegations and said he had behaved according to child protection guidelines. Some of the examinations complained of had in fact been carried out by female members of staff, he said.
His barrister, Marian Lewis, said she would try to persuade Judge Burr not to send him to jail.
But the judge said: "The inevitability is custody. I can't see any other consequence. I'm certain."
Judge Burr said he was willing to consider a pre sentence report because it might reveal something about Thorley that he was not aware of.
But he repeated: "The chances of anything other than a custodial sentence are not very high."
Thorley was granted bail meanwhile. Miss Lewis said it would give Thorley time to put his affairs in order.
The jury had heard how Thorley, of Bryn Heulog, Heol Penlanffos, Carmarthen, had risen to the top of his profession and had been appointed a lead inspector of schools by Estyn, the government's schools inspection body.
During his trial he described his prosection as "devastating." He told the jury: "It's a tragedy. It's broken our hearts."
In addition to the verdicts the jury also cleared Thorley - on the direction of Judge Burr - of eight further similar charges after Judge Burr ruled there was insufficient "evidence of quality" for them to consider.
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