Priest to Be Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Boy at Lancashire Boarding School

ITV
April 13, 2017

http://www.itv.com/news/granada/2017-04-13/priest-to-be-sentenced-for-sexually-abusing-boy-at-lancashire-boarding-school/

St Joseph's College in Upholland, now closed

A Catholic priest will be sentenced today for abusing a teenage boy at a Lancashire boarding school.

Father Michael Higginbottom, 74, was convicted for subjecting a teenage boy to repeated sexual abuse when he worked as a teacher at St Joseph's College in Upholland, Lancashire, in the late 1970s.

A jury at Liverpool Crown Court took 10 hours and 20 minutes to find him guilty of four counts of indecent assault and four counts of buggery.

All the verdicts were decided by a majority of 10 to two.

During the trial, which began on Monday April 3, the court heard the victim was aged between 13 and 14 at the time of the abuse.

He said he would be struck with a strap if he did not attend Higginbottom's living quarters, where much of the abuse was alleged to have happened, at appointed times.

The first incident happened about a week after the victim arrived at the boarding school.

He said he was invited into Higginbottom's living quarters and the defendant locked the door and ordered him to undress before sexually assaulting him.

The complainant, now in his 50s, said he had first revealed the allegations to a friend in 2013 and was encouraged by him to go to the police.

But Adam Birkby, defending, suggested he had "fabricated" the allegations for compensation.

The jury was told previous allegations had been made against Higginbottom by another pupil in 2007 and the Catholic Church had settled the claim out of court for #35,000.

But, police had investigated the claims and, although Higginbottom had been charged, no evidence against him was offered in court and not guilty verdicts were entered.

In his evidence, Higginbottom said he had no memory of the pupil who made the current allegations, who attended the school for six months.

He denied ever sexually abusing a boy in his care.

The court heard the priest, who worked at the school as a physics teacher, would give electric shocks to pupils, using a Van der Graaff or Faraday machine, as a punishment.

But Higginbottom said the machines gave only minor electric shocks and did not hurt the boys.

The school, which is now closed, was attended by boys aged 11 to 18, many of whom were considering a career in the priesthood.

Higginbottom, of West Farm Road, Newcastle, was remanded in custody.

He is due to be sentenced by Judge Andrew Menary QC at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday.

Last updated Thu 13 Apr 2017