Former headteacher who attacked vulnerable pupils at Ovenstone School in Pittenweem avoids jail

A former headteacher who assaulted vunerable pupils under the guise of corporal punishment has avoided a jail term.

Alexander Cameron, 88, was found guilty of six charges on January 30, 2026 following a trial at Dundee Sheriff Court.

The offending took place between 1982 and 1992 while Cameron was in charge at Ovenstone School in Pittenweem, Fife.

During the trial, the court heard evidence from several former pupils who described repeated assaults carried out under the guise of corporal punishment.

Logbook entries detailing a number of these incidents were also shown to the jury, supporting the victims’ accounts.

Cameron used items including a shoe and a slipper to strike the primary school-aged boys in his care, often causing injury.

He was also convicted of hitting pupils with a belt fitted with metal studs, a weapon he referred to as Hungry Horace.

On Monday, at the same court, Cameron was given a six-month Restriction of Liberty Order and must remain within his home address between 7pm and 7am.

Procurator Fiscal Helen Nisbet, of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: “The conviction of Alexander Cameron brings into sharp focus the harm suffered by vulnerable children at Ovenstone School.

“The experiences described by former pupils were not only criminal acts but a serious betrayal of the trust placed in Cameron. Children in his care should have been protected and supported, not subjected to violence.

“As headteacher, he carried significant responsibility for their welfare. Instead of honouring that duty, he repeatedly used his position to inflict physical abuse, leaving lasting consequences for those affected.

“Scotland’s prosecutors remain fully committed to bringing non-recent child abuse cases before the courts, no matter how much time has passed since these crimes were committed.”