UNITED KINGDOM
Lancashire Evening Post
A senior priest has told a court of the moment he was arrested by police probing allegations of sexual assault made against him.
Stephen Shield, 53, was due to officiate at a funeral service two hours after his arrest.
He denies three counts of indecent assault against a man – who had dreams of joining the priesthood – more than two decades ago.
Shield trained in Rome and spent some time at English Martyrs Church in Garstang Road, Preston, where two of the offences were alleged to have taken place.
Dressed in a blue jumper and shirt, he took to the witness stand at Preston Crown Court to be cross examined at his trial.
He said: “I was supposed to conduct a funeral at 9.30am that morning. I was lying in bed going through the last few words of the service in my head. “I was concerned about the family that I knew very well having another priest.”
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