Paedophile Primary School Teacher Used Ghostly Tales To Groom Boys For Abuse

A Walking Horror Story: Martin Smith

A former primary school teacher was convicted today of abusing two young boy pupils during sleepovers at his home on the eve of organised trips.

Martin Smith, 64, of Llandybie Road, Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, Wales was arrested and charged with the decades-old offences after internet communication between the complainants on 'facebook' and 'friends reunited.'

Woolwich Crown Court heard Smith, who transfixed the boys with elaborate ghost stories, used those tales to instigate some of the abuse, which involved the youngsters pleasuring him.

He was convicted of one count of indecent assault in relation to each boy plus two counts of repeated indecency with each child on multiple occassions between 1979 and 1982 and will be sentenced on April 11.

One count of indecency with a third boy was allowed to lie on the file.

Smith taught at a school in Camberwell, Southwark and all the offences took place at his former two-bedroom flat in St. Julian's Farm Road, West Norwood.

The jury were told the boys were aged approximately eight to ten years-old at the time and were “absorbed” by Smith's imaginative ghost tales, which usually involved World War One soldiers.

They stayed at Smith's address to get an early start on various school trips and one of the victim's claimed he thought he felt the presence of a ghost during a visit to an old music hall, such was the influence of the defendant's stories.

The same victim told police in a video-recorded interview that on occassions he was caned and spanked by Smith, who ordered the youngster to 'punish the ghost' by touching him intimately.

The man also told the jury that on one occassion “confirmed batchelor” Smith put him in a nappy and the truth only started coming out when he confided in his wife that a schoolteacher had abused him.

He approached police with his complaint in November, 2011 and officers then contacted the second victim, who confirmed similar abuse occurred when he stayed at Smith's flat.

Smith insisted he never touched the boys and recalled the second victim warning: “I'll get you for that,” after a caning.

He also claimed to have overheard the same boy making plans to get money as a result of sexual activity.

The third complainant told the court that during a sleepover Smith entered the room he and another boy were in, lied between them, and encouraged them to touch him intimately.