Paedophile ex-headteacher David Cowling, 87, was escorted by police from his home in May Place, Perth, on Saturday after protesters gathered outside and demanded he leave.
A heavy police presence attended the scene to separate him from the crowd. Footage shared online by Perth Safeguarding & Awareness shows officers surrounding the former teacher as he emerged from the quiet cul-de-sac with a couple of other individuals carrying a handful of belongings.
Protesters could be heard shouting jibes such as “paedo” and “beast” as Cowling was led away before being placed in a police vehicle.
Historic abuse conviction
Cowling was jailed for two years in 2015 after being convicted of sexually abusing two vulnerable pupils while he was headteacher of Balnacraig School in Perth more than four decades earlier. The court heard his offending took place between July 1971 and July 1973, when the children were in the care system and attending the residential school.
One woman, who was in her 50s at the time of the trial, told the court Cowling had groomed her and become involved in a sexual relationship with her before she turned 13. She said he made her feel special and sexually abused her at various locations, including a caravan parked in the school grounds. Further incidents were said to have taken place during trips to Glasgow and Arisaig in the early 1970s.
Cowling admitted he had been involved in a sexual relationship with the woman but claimed nothing sexual had happened before she was 16. He also admitted taking her to a hotel for the weekend of her 16th birthday. However, a jury at Perth Sheriff Court unanimously found him guilty of grooming the girl and becoming involved in a sexual relationship with her before she turned 13.
Second victim and wider scrutiny
A second woman, also in her 50s, later came forward to police, prompting a full investigation into Cowling. Sheriff Lindsay Foulis told Cowling he had “abused the trust” placed in him as headteacher.
He said: “The children under your control were put there because they were in the care system. They were vulnerable individuals. You were in a position of trust and undoubtedly you abused that trust.” The sheriff also said Cowling’s behaviour had an impact on the complainers’ lives from that time onwards.
The former headteacher’s crimes later formed part of wider scrutiny of Balnacraig School. In 2018, the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry announced that the Perth school was among 17 institutions being added to its investigations into historical abuse. The inquiry said it believed there may have been instances of child abuse at the independent residential school, which catered for children and young people unable to cope with mainstream education because of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Lady Smith, chair of the inquiry, urged anyone with relevant information about Balnacraig to come forward, regardless of whether they had already reported their experiences to police or another organisation. Balnacraig said at the time that the welfare and safety of children and young people was at the heart of its work and that it was committed to assisting the inquiry. The school has a history dating back to the 1840s and became an independent residential school in 1986.
Police response
It is not clear from the footage what prompted Saturday’s protest or whether Cowling had been asked to leave the property. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 6pm on Saturday, 3 October, 2026, police received a report of a crowd gathered outside a property in the May Place area of Perth. Officers attended and engaged with the crowd, who later dispersed.”
