An award-winning teacher was behind bars after being convicted of grooming and sexually assaulting 12 of his pupils.

Martin Gallacher was described by a colleague as ‘the perfect teacher’, who was so good he had won a ‘best teacher’ award.

But the computing teacher turned out to be a ‘manipulative and predatory’ beast who has now been remanded in custody having been found guilty of abusing a dozen boys over an 11-year-period.

He targeted the teenagers during lessons, at a lunch club and badminton club he ran, and while he was coach of a school football team.

The 46-year-old denied any wrongdoing, claiming he had touched boys innocently through his roles as a teacher, club organiser or football coach.

He targeted boys in lessons or when they were alone, contacted some on messaging platforms PlayStation, Discord, Steam and Snapchat, and gave some gifts and money.

Gallacher abused the young students at a school in Paisley, Renfrewshire, between 2013 and 2024.

His trial at the town’s Sheriff Court heard he groomed the youngsters, rubbing them on their shoulders, back, legs and thighs, touching some on their privates and performing sex acts.

Gallacher, who said he suffers from ‘mild cerebral palsy’, claimed that he had touched boys on their shoulders or legs but that it was ‘definitely not in a sexual fashion’.

But the jury took just an hour to reject his version of events and convict him of 14 of the 15 charges he faced.

Prosecutor Jason Stark asked Sheriff Eoin McGinty to consider imposing a sexual harm prevention order, which will place limitations on him, and impose non-harassment orders banning him from having any contact with his victims.

The sheriff called for background reports to be prepared ahead of sentencing, and adjourned the case and consideration of the orders until next month, and remanded Gallacher, of Paisley, in custody.

As he did so, he said: ‘Up to now you’ve had the benefit of bail, but up until some moments ago you had the benefit of the presumption of innocence, and that no longer applies.

‘You were in a position of power and authority. You took advantage of the vulnerability of your victims.

‘Your conduct to all these boys can only be described as manipulative and predatory.’

In his closing speech to the jury, Mr Stark said the abuse was ‘unmistakably linked in character, circumstance and time’.

The Procurator Fiscal Depute explained: ‘All the complainers told you this happened in [the school], or his car, or through extra curricular activities through [the school].

‘It is remarkably similar conduct - rubbing, or touching, of them. In his room or car.

‘You heard he was a “special teacher”, more friendly than the others.

‘Different pupils, different years, the same conduct, again, and again, and again.

‘Mr Gallacher, the cool teacher, the friendly teacher, the teacher that they liked.

‘Boys of different ages, different years, different lives.

‘This was not mistaken. This was not coincidence. It was grooming. It was sexual offending, a course of conduct pursued against boys over several years.’

One victim said he believed Gallacher had managed to get away with abusing so many boys for so many years because he ‘was so sound’.

Colleague Lynda Gibson earlier told the jury she was regularly in and out of Gallacher’s class.

She said he was ‘one of’ her ‘very good friends’ and described herself as ‘like an annoying sister’.

Ms Gibson said she had never seen anything untoward between him and any pupils, adding: ‘He was the epitome of the perfect teacher - he even had an award for being the best teacher.’

But she admitted under cross examination that she was not always in his class and could not say what had or had not happened when she was not there.

Following the hearing, Detective Inspector David Hardie said: 'Gallacher is a depraved individual who abused his position of trust to target his victims.

'I commend those who came forward and reported the abuse and for the strength they showed throughout the trial.

'Their evidence was instrumental in bringing this despicable individual to justice. My thoughts remain with them as Gallacher faces the consequences of his actions, and I hope his conviction allows them and their families to move forward with their lives.

'Police Scotland takes all reports of sexual abuse seriously, regardless of the passage of time.

'I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual crime to report it to us. Your report will be treated sensitively, we will listen, and crimes will be investigated thoroughly.'