The principal of a Derry special needs school has been cleared of sexually assaulting one of his pupils.
Michael Dobbins, who had been head of the Ardnashee Special Needs School in the city, was today found unanimously not guilty by a jury of carrying out a series of sex assaults on one of his female pupils.
Following a two and a half week long trial at the Crown Court in Coleraine, Mr Dobbins, 54, from Greenhaw Road in Derry, walked free following his unanimous acquittals on six charges of rape and on three other charges of sexual assaults.
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Mr Dobbins had denied committing the alleged offences in his office, in his home, in his car and in a field on various dates between January 2013 and February 2015.
The principal described the last seven years since he was first questioned about the allegations as a living hell during which both his physical and mental health deteriorated to such an extent that he was treated for suicidal ideation.
The jurors were told during the trial that the complainant, who had a history of viewing pornographic websites, had become obsessed with and infatuated by her school principal so much so that she had issues in terms of understanding boundaries.
After the jury foreperson announced the unanimous not guilty verdicts to all nine charges after just over two hours of deliberations, Judge Patrick Kinney thanked them for their diligence and patience during the trial process.
He then turned to Mr Dobbins in the dock of courtroom 2 and said “Mr Dobbins, you are free to leave the dock”.
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