A paedophile music teacher abused two schoolgirls during his time as principal of the department almost 40 years ago.

William Wright, 78, preyed on the teenagers while they were pupils of the East Renfrewshire school.

One woman described being “terrified” of him and not wanting to object to the abuse because she needed his help to get through her exams.

The granfather of eight claimed he had “no explanation” why the women would make such allegations.

But a jury at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday (Mon) convicted him of two charges of using lewd and libidinous practices and behaviour and a charge of indecent assault towards the two women between August 1974 and June 1981.

A police probe into married father of three led to the women, now 54 and 57-years-old, being tracked down. The 54-year-old fought tears in court as she said she was “too afraid” to speak up at the time about what was happening to her.

She told advocate depute Sheena Fraser: “I was terrified of him, he was a man who had a temper and I just didn’t put up any objection.”

He would brazenly carry out the abuse at times while she sat at the piano with him, sometimes when other pupils were sitting at the other side of it.

In her sixth year at school Wright took her from one of the music rooms into a cupboard and carried out sex attack on her.

He then gave the tearful schoolgirl a lift home because she had missed the school bus.

Wright, who sometimes plays the organ at Elderslie Kirk, denied any wrongdoing.

Lord Arthurson told him: “You have been convicted of serious sexual offending against two young girls.”

Wright had his bail continued pending sentence on September 11 .