Teacher denies abusing 13 boys over 11-year period at Scots school

A teacher accused of abusing 13 boys over an 11-year period at the school where he worked has denied any wrongdoing.

Martin Gallacher is said to have assaulted the youngsters while working as a computing teacher at Paisley Grammar School.

But the 46-year-old has denied ever touching any boy sexually, saying he only touched boys during his role as a teacher or a coach of a school football team.

Gallacher, of Paisley, is on trial at Paisley Sheriff Court accused of 15 charges spanning 2013 to 2024 and gave evidence in his own defence today, Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

When asked if he had ever touched or rubbed a boy "in a sexual fashion", the teacher, who has a degree in computing and electronic systems and a postgrad degree in secondary education for computing, said: "Definitely not in a sexual fashion, definitely not rub, definitely not stroke. Touch could be interpreted in different ways.

"For example, if a pupil was on a computer, quite often they would have headphones on, listening to video instructions.

"I would go up behind them and place a hand on their shoulder or both hands on their shoulder, that sort of thing."

The court heard that Gallacher ran a lunch club in his classroom and that one boy claimed he was repeatedly abused at the club.

Gallacher, who said he suffers from "mild cerebral palsy" said: "I'd open my class at morning intervals and lunch time to give pupils somewhere warm and dry to come and have their lunch.

"There were other voluntary lunch clubs that teachers ran across the school.

"It was usually oversubscribed, I had to find creative ways of deciding who was allowed in each time."

He was asked: "Did you ever touch, in any form or fashion, a boy in the lunch club in a sexual fashion?"

He replied: "No."

He told the jury he ran a badminton club on Fridays after school and that he took a football team every year.

He said the badminton club ran from 3pm to 4.30pm and took place in the games hall, which was next to his classroom.

He added: "Pupils would bring in their own rackets which they'd store in my room in a box behind the door, which I would carry along myself at the end of the day."

He was asked: "Did you ever touch boys in a sexual manner during or after badminton club?"

He replied: "No."

He added: "Over the years many pupils have helped tidy things up and carry things back to my classroom.

"Badminton finished at 4.30pm. We would quickly get the net and stuff back into the P.E. store cupboard and wander back to my class.

"Then I'd usually go to the toilet at that point. A particular boy who helped would be in my room alone for about five minutes. 

"Then we would leave. I'd drop him home, I'd drive him to his house."

He denied ever touching the boy sexually in his car and was asked why he drove the boy home.

He replied: "He mentioned at some point he couldn't attend badminton so couldn't get a lift home. I was aware he lived near me so I offered to take him home.

"He'd mentioned taking a train or a bus but I think it took a long amount of time and I don't think he always had funds for that.

"He often came to lunch club. A few occasions he needed money for his lunch. He came to lunch club a lot and often brought food. 

"If I saw he didn't have food I'd ask him if he'd eaten. If he said he had no money for food I'd give him a few pounds to go to the chippy or whatever."

Gallacher insisted he had never touched any boy sexually while coaching school football teams but said he would touch boys if needed.

He explained: "If a boy took a football to the testicles I definitely wouldn't touch that because there's nothing I could do about it. 

"If they have a muscle strain or a cut I can maybe treat it. I have a first aid qualification."

And when asked if he had ever touched a boy's private parts, he replied: "I definitely didn't touch any boy's private parts."

The trial, before Sheriff Eoin McGinty, continues.