THE former chairman of governors of a North Yorkshire private school has claimed one ex-pupil lived in a “fantasy” world and a second was a “drama queen”.

Both are among five people who have alleged that Brian Richard Martin, 68, sexually abused them when they were at Queen Ethelberga’s School, north of York.

In the second day in the witness box at Leeds Crown Court, Martin told the jury he bought the school for £1 in 1991 when it was failing and claimed he had turned it into one of the best schools academically in the country.

The jury have heard agreed evidence that Martin searched the internet for information about the first pupil and police procedure in sex cases in the weeks leading up to his arrest at the school on October 20, 2015, on suspicion of offences against her.

He alleged friends had warned him in September 2015 police were investigating him for sexual crimes.

Martin, of Farnham Lane, Ferrensby, Knaresborough, denies 24 sexual charges involving five pupils at the school and a former employee over two decades.

The jury have heard a seventh person made an allegation that Martin had shown him a porn video at his house when he was underage.

Martin denied it, claiming he had accidentally seen the person in an embarrassing situation at his house.

Martin alleged that had the seventh person asked him about sexual matters: “I would have given him a straight answer.” The incident is not the subject of a charge.

He denied in detail all the allegations made against him by ex-pupils during the trial.

The jury heard the first pupil had made an allegation to staff about Martin when she was still a pupil, which Martin had denied at the time.

He claimed then she had made it up when “overwrought” because of exams.

He told the jury: “She didn’t live in reality, she lived in fantasy.” He also described her as “not of this planet” and “not mainstream”.

Martin alleged that a sexual attack alleged by the second pupil had actually been the two of them accidentally bumping into each other during a school function at his home.

“He does the footballer, clutching his ankles,” he claimed. “It was drama queen. He didn’t want to give up his laptop.”

Martin alleged he had then confiscated the second pupil’s laptop because he had thought the pupil was trying to access his private wifi.

He denied putting porn or a pornographic channel on his home TV for pupils to view.

Martin denied covering up an incident involving Skype, the third pupil and a girl pupil at the school, and claimed that the third pupil had twice asked him for money some years after leaving the school.

“Nine days after he is told ….. off, but nicely, he is making his complaint (to the police),” Martin said.

He alleged the fourth pupil had only made his allegation to support the “drama queen”.

The fifth pupil has alleged Martin made a sexual suggestion to her, which Martin alleged he couldn’t remember and claimed the conversation “would have been banter”.

Earlier, Martin had alleged the school moved into his then home in Thorpe Underwood after it contacted him for financial support when still based in Harrogate.

“We bought it for a pound,” he alleged. “A very expensive purchase it turned out to be.” He alleged he had spent £30 million on its equestrian facilities.

He claimed “thousands of people nothing to do with Queen Ethelberga's” could use the facilities “at no cost.”

The trial continues.