Alloa Advertiser | News | Parents look for justice after son's tragic death

Thursday, 15th May, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 7th May, 2008 12:00

Parents look for justice after son's tragic death

By Court Reporter

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Former Dollar Academy Latin master Jonathan Quick was jailed last year for abusing pupils at his residence at the school.

THE PARENTS of a former Dollar Academy pupil – who committed suicide after allegedly suffering sexual abuse at the hands of his Latin master – will have go to the highest court in the land to sue his old school.

John and Noreen Young, whose son David took his own life in 2002 at the age of 23, are suing the Academy for £120,000.

They claim that David had told a psychiatrist and close friends he had been abused by ex-Classics teacher, Jonathan Quick, at Dollar Academy, when he was just 11.

And the Youngs are now suing the school, claiming it neglected its duty of care by failing to act against the teacher despite knowing about earlier cases of abuse, for which Quick was last year sentenced to eight months in jail.

Quick (72) is currently on bail, pending an appeal, and living in a nursing home.

On Thursday, at Alloa Sheriff Court, Sheriff David Mackie granted a motion by Dollar Academy to have the case heard at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

Solicitor Duncan Batchelor, for the school, said the importance and complexity of the case meant it should be heard at the highest court in the land.

He said, “They (Dollar Academy) have a reputation for being a fine school. It is clear that their reputation has been damaged.

“Effectively the suicide of the pursuers’ son has been laid squarely at the door of the school.

“We are looking at 18 years after the alleged abuse and 27 years after it is alleged the defenders should have carried out an investigation.

“Witnesses have died or moved on. The former rector died in 1985. The deputy chairman of the board of governors also.

“Records will have been lost or destroyed. The memories of those involved will have lost clarity.”

Sheriff Mackie, who presided over Quick’s criminal trial in 2007, said the importance of the civil case, its complexity, and also practical matters – including the size and condition of the Alloa Sheriff Court building – had contributed to his decision.

He said, “It may be that the school’s reputation has been dented, but the case is important to all schools.

“The dearth of authority of the court also renders it important to remit to the Court of Session.”

He added, “I dealt with Mr Quick in the original proceedings.

“ I know Mr Quick very well and expressed certain views about him at that time.

“In extremis, I could be a witness in this case. Any proof would have to be held in front of a part-time or floating sheriff.”

Outside court, Mrs Young said, “We are looking for justice. If the Court of Session is the correct forum, then that’s fine.”

David Young committed suicide in 2002 in the Philippines, shortly after dropping out of medical school in Aberdeen.

He left a note in the hotel room where he died, but gave no direct explanation for his suicide.

It was only when his parents met psychiatrist Leonie Sweeney – to whom their son had spoken at length – that they began to understand his distress.

They later enlisted retired detective Les Brown, who tracked down several of Quick’s victims from the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Their evidence was enough to secure Quick’s conviction – for abusing them, but not David Young.

Quick admitted four charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices by spanking pupils, and pled guilty to a charge of assault by striking a boy with a wooden spoon.

The abuse happened between 1977 and 1981, at Quick’s private residence at the school McNabb House. All of the pupils were aged between 10 and 13 at the time.

Suggestions that Quick was too ill to serve a custodial sentence were dismissed by Sheriff David Mackie, who jailed him for eight months.

Sheriff Mackie told Quick at the time, “Your offending has caused harm to your victims impossible to calculate – more profound and more pervasive than any physical injury might be.”

However, within days of being locked up in Glasgow’s Barlinnie Prison, Quick was allowed out. He was released on bail pending an appeal against his sentence.

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