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Man who claims teacher abused him felt 'ashamed'
A man who claims he was sexually abused by a schoolteacher told a court he felt 'ashamed' by what happened.
The man, who's in his 40s but can't be identified for legal reasons, gave evidence yesterday in the trial of James Braid, a former English and Drama teacher at Bay House School, Gosport.
He told the jury: 'This happened to me 20 years ago and for a very long time it was all I could do to admit it to myself.
'I felt so ashamed I didn't even manage that for a very long time. I told my partner in 2005 and sometimes I still feel ashamed and wish I hadn't.
'The police came to me and asked me about it. I took a weekend to make up my mind and it was a tough decision.
'But I have children with my partner and that was what did it. If I knew that was happening to my children I'd be furious and devastated. I can't even imagine what I'd do.
'I thought back to what had happened to me and I remembered the nights of lying there thinking about him and saying "please don't come in, please don't do this again". I can't let that happen again.'
Braid, who worked at the school for 30 years before retiring in 2008, is accused of abusing four boys between 1982 and 2002.
The 58-year-old denies seven charges of indecent assault, one of rape and one other sexual offence.
(Proceeding )
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Weather for Portsmouth
Friday 10 February 2012
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