Former Housemaster Receives 10-Year Sentence for Historical Child Abuse at Residential School
A former housemaster who subjected vulnerable children to years of physical and sexual abuse at a residential school in Dumfries and Galloway has been sentenced to a decade in prison. William Brydson, a 78-year-old army veteran, was found guilty of multiple serious offences against nine youngsters during his tenure as head of care at the institution.
Decades-Old Crimes Uncovered
Brydson's offending spanned from 1979 to 1986 while he worked at Monken Hadley, later known as Woodlands School, in Newton Stewart. The High Court in Kilmarnock heard how he committed a catalogue of crimes including rape, indecent assault, and various forms of physical assault against children placed in his care.
In December, following a trial, Brydson was convicted on twelve separate charges:
- Two counts of rape
- Five counts of indecent assault
- Four counts of assault to injury
- One count of assault
Judge Condemns "Appalling Breach of Trust"
Passing sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Lady Poole described Brydson's actions as "an appalling breach of trust" and commended the bravery of victims who came forward to give evidence. She noted that two victims were underage girls when the rapes began, stating they were "scared of the violence you might inflict on them."
The judge acknowledged that reliving these experiences meant revisiting "a very dark part of their lives" for the now-adult survivors.
Detailed Accounts of Systematic Abuse
Court proceedings revealed disturbing patterns of cruelty inflicted upon multiple children:
- One boy suffered repeated punching and kicking from age 10, including having his face forced into a urine-soaked bed
- A second boy endured indecent assaults from age 14, with Brydson watching him shower and striking him painfully with a towel
- A third victim was abused from age 11 through various methods including being struck with a knife handle, beaten with a stick, pushed down stairs, and confined naked in a cellar
- This same boy was forced to eat until vomiting, then compelled to consume his own vomit
- Another child was attacked both at school and at a Paisley address, suffering head blows, kicking, stamping, and being forced into boxing matches with other pupils
- Two girls were raped repeatedly from ages 15 and younger, with attacks occurring at school, in nearby woodland, and in a vehicle
Previous Conviction and Current Sentence
This is not Brydson's first conviction for abuse at the same institution. In 2003, he received a two-year sentence for physically abusing children at the school, though this was reduced to nine months on appeal.
The current ten-year sentence represents a more substantial punishment for the full extent of his crimes. Brydson, from Nairn in the Scottish Highlands, has also been placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.
Prosecution Response to Conviction
Faye Cook, procurator fiscal for high court sexual offences, commented: "The conviction of William Brydson lays bare the horrific abuse suffered by vulnerable children at Monken Hadley and Woodlands School. What these young people endured was not only criminal - it was a devastating abuse of trust that should never have happened."
She added that as housemaster and head of care, Brydson held a position meant to protect and nurture, but instead "used it to inflict repeated physical and sexual abuse, leaving lives shattered and scarred."
The case highlights ongoing efforts to address historical institutional abuse and bring perpetrators to justice, even decades after their crimes were committed.
