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Priest 'sex abuse' accuser says he 'was paraded like a trophy in gay bar' - Hull trial
By Simon Bristow
Canon Terrence Grigg is on trial at Hull Crown Court and denies 11 historic sex offences A man who claims he was sexually assaulted by a Cottingham priest has told a jury he was "paraded" by him in a gay bar "as a trophy". The complainant is one of five men who allege they were sexually abused by Canon Terrence Grigg, former rector of St Mary's Church, in the 1980s and 1990s. Mr Grigg, 84, of Grove Street, Malton, North Yorkshire, is on trial at Hull Crown Court and denies nine indecent assaults and two other sex offences. The complainant, the first witness to give evidence in the case, gave a DVD recorded police interview two years ago, which was played to the jury on Monday. He told the court on Tuesday that after watching the video this month in preparation for the trial, he then made a further statement to police concerning an out of town visit he made with Mr Grigg when he was a teenager. He said: "I told the police what I'd remembered, that during the visit to [a city], the evening we were there I was taken by Mr Grigg into a gay bar." "How did you know it was a gay bar?" asked Claire Holmes, prosecuting. The man said: "It was men only and those men were clearly in couples. I think Mr Grigg probably told me it was a gay bar before we went in, and my abiding memory of that is how uncomfortable I felt, and I felt I was being paraded, really, as a trophy. 'My stomach churned'"I remember my stomach churning and I remember feeling glad we didn't stay too long. I was wondering where this would go next." The man claims he was twice indecently assaulted by Mr Grigg, by hugging him on a sofa in the rectory, and by touching him after getting into his bid on a trip. He also says the priest used to hold his hand while driving, kissed him, and regularly talked about sex. 'Clear denial'Graham Huston, defending, said: "To make the the defendant's position clear, any allegation of sexual activity or behaviour is denied. Do you understand?" "OK," said the man, who gave evidence from behind a screen. It is alleged Mr Grigg, who was rector at St Mary's between 1983 and 2004, groomed some of the complainants, giving one money for "football stickers and pop".Another complainant is said to have taken drugs to "block out" the abuse, and to have been allowed to steal from Mr Grigg knowing he would not report it because of the alleged abuse.
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