Former church organist, 74, who sexually abused young girl is jailed

By Lynda Roughley
Wirral Globe
June 19, 2017

http://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/15356256.Former_church_organist__74__who_sexually_abused_young_girl_is_jailed/

Martyn Poole, who assisted at a church in Wallasey, denied molesting the girl, who was aged about 12, but was convicted after a trial

A former church organist who sexually abused a vulnerable young girl was put behind bars - 40 years after the offences.

Martyn Poole, who assisted at a church in Wallasey, denied molesting the girl, who was aged about 12, but was convicted after a trial.

A judge told 74-year-old Poole, “You befriended her, earning her trust and she came to look up to you as a father figure. 

"You betrayed that trust on two occasions, sexually abusing her having invited her to your home when your wife and family were elsewhere.”

Recorder Anthony Long said that at the time of the offences Poole had been in his 30s, “your wife ran a children’s home and you were a leading light in your local church. You attended as the organist, helper and eventually some sort of minister.”

He told Poole that his victim, who had been aged between 11 and 13, had been left “confused and bewildered” and her victim impact statement, which she read herself to the court, showed the psychological damage he had caused.

The defendant, formerly of Grasmere Road, Wallasey, was convicted of two offences of indecently assaulting the girl and two of indecency with her.

Poole had been acquitted on an earlier occasion of sexually abusing another child.

The judge told Poole, of Ward Grove, Rock Ferry, that he had also betrayed the trust of the other churchgoers.

Poole, who later became a Quaker, was sentenced to 22 months imprisonment and the judge ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders Register for ten year and imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

In her impact statement, the victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, described how Poole had ruined her childhood and left her battling depression throughout her life.

She said: “I will never forgive that man for stealing away my childhood and other experiences I may have had throughout my adult life.

“I can only hope justice will prevail and he will be punished for what he did to me all those years ago.”

The woman said she was a naive and innocent child when the abuse took place and was left with a distrust of men which continued into adulthood.

“Perhaps if I hadn’t been put in the situation that I was by Martyn art such a young age I would have grown up with a different outlook on life and things could have been very different for me.”

Lee Bonner, defending Poole, said his client still maintains his innocence but would “respect” the decision of the court.

“He has managed to reach 74 years of age otherwise conviction free, and a long time has passed since this occurred.

“He has lost by way of the jury’s decision his good name and his good character. His health difficulties aside, immediate custody is something that would have an increased impact on somebody of his years.”