Court Told Vicar "Touched Schoolgirl's Leg during Confirmation Class"

By Natasha Adkins
Get Reading
May 20, 2014

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/court-told-vicar-touched-schoolgirls-7146323


A woman described how as a schoolgirl she was frozen to the spot when she felt a vicar’s hand on her leg, a court heard.

Yesterday a jury at Reading Crown Court heard the woman say the incident took place during her confirmation class at St John the Baptist Church in Crowthorne when she was aged 11 or 12.

Retired vicar Brian Spence, 74, faces nine counts of indecent assault involving four girls aged under 16.

All the offences are alleged to have taken place between 1995 and November 1999 when Spence was vicar of the Crowthorne church.

He was more recently priest-in-charge at St Mark’s Church in Englefield before he retired.

During a police interview played to the jury the woman said the incident happened when her confirmation class was seated around a table with Spence. Some way through the class she said Spence put his hand on her left knee.

She continued: “It didn’t travel, it just stayed still but felt like it was there quite a while. I remember freezing to the spot because I felt it was inappropriate.”

Alexia Durran, defending, cross-examined the woman.

She said: “Mr Spence has no recollection of ever putting his hand on your knee in confirmation class. He thinks it is possible that if you had appeared to have lost concentration he might have put a hand on your knee to get your attention so you were back in class listening to what he was saying.”

The woman said that was not possible.

She said: “He wouldn’t have to get my attention by putting his hand on my knee.”

Spence, of Nursery Close, Hook, denies all the charges.

The trial continues.