Men Linked To Church And Undertakers Firm Deny Sexually Abusing Choirboys

Phillip Tuffill

A group of six paedophiles, linked to a notorious church organist and choirmaster, were involved in sexually abusing four young boys who were "groomed" with alcohol, pornography and other treats, a jury were told today.

The families of the boys were unaware the youngsters, all aged from six to fourteen years-old, were being preyed upon, Croydon Crown Court heard, until decades later and one by one they reported the abuse of the defendants.

They are: IT company director and former funeral director Phillip Tuffill, 55, of Mill Lane, Merstham, Redhill.

Gerald Heather, 65, of Nolan Close, Swindon.

Timothy Fuller, 53, of Herd Street, Stoke-on-Trent.

Robert Lawty, 55, of Adams Croft, Brookwood, Woking.

Ian Coulthart, 62, of Kingswood Flats, Kingswood Street, Brighton.

Mark Jales, 51, of High Beech Farmhouse, Lower Godney, Wells.

"This concerns serious allegations of sexual abuse by these adult men on teenage and young boys in the seventies and eighties," prosecutor Miss Rosina Cottage QC told the jury.

Gerald Heather

The boys attended St. Bartholemew's Primary School, Sydenham and sang in the St. Bartholemew's Church choir, which was run by convicted pedophile Tony Brockhurst, a funeral director who killed himself approximately five years ago, aged 80.

Tuffill, who shared a house with Fuller in Gowland Place, Beckenham, was an employee of the same undertakers - H Copeland & Sons - and Jales was one of the drivers.

Tuffill, Heather and Coulthart were all members of the choir.

One former choirboy was abused by all of the defendants, the jury were told, having been initially groomed by Brockhurst when aged only eleven years-old.

"He was a lonely little boy looking for warmth and attention and was groomed, including being given alcohol, and abused for three years," explained Miss Cottage.

"Tuffill began to abuse him a year after he joined the choir," she added, informing the jury the defendant had sex with the boy after inviting him to his home where he was given alcohol and treated to a chinese meal.

"The boy thought it was his purpose and the way of his relationships with these men.

Timothy Fuller

"They were men trusted by the parents, they were connected to the church and the choir and there was no question about their integrity.

"They learned how to choose their victims and groom them so they would not say: 'no'."

Heather picked up and hugged the same boy - who felt the defendant was aroused - during the choir's camping trip to Wales and he also took the youngster bowling before eventually taking him to the bedroom of his Streatham home and having sex.

"The abuse became such a way of life he thought nothing of it and did not tell anyone."

Fuller was convicted in 1987 of gross indecency with a boy and in 1985 of indecently assaulting brothers, aged eleven and twelve years-old, the jury were told.

"He is a man sexually attracted to children," said Miss Cottage. "He has a history of abusing boys and sexually assaulted the first complainant in this case as well."

The jury were told Tuffill asked Fuller: "Why don't you try him out?" and soon afterwards the boy was plied with alcohol by the defendant, who then had sex with him.

"It happened several times over the next few months."

Robert Lawty

The same boy was introduced at a party to married cook Lawty, a friend of Tuffill's. "He was plied with alcohol, red wine, and Lawty also drank."

The court heard Lawty had sex with the youngster and told him: "Once you're in the ring, we've got you."

Miss Cottage added: "Lawty also asked him if he would have sex with his wife."

Coulthart also had sex with the boy, who complained it "hurt" and recalled one occasion when the defendant and Brockhurst had their way with him at a cottage near Royal Tunbridge Wells.

"He knew what was going to happen, but did not complain because he was use'd to it by this time. Each man took it in turns with the boy on the carpet in front of the fire."

The boy was also taken by Jales to his then flat opposite the funeral directors, where he had sex with him and stayed the night. "He describes him as smelling of b.o.

"He felt numb and used. There had been no treats and he did not return to Jales and thought him weird and dirty."

Ian Coulthart

The second victim, another chorister, was groomed by Tuffill, who showed him pornography from Amsterdam and abused him in his own home when he was just eleven years-old, the court heard.

The boy remembers Heather as the driver of a mini-bus when the choristers were taken swimming or ten-pin bowling and as someone who would treat them to a chinese meal.

"He remembers Heather as profoundly religious with the church," said the prosecutor, adding the defendant put his hand under the boy's duvet and abused him while he was lying in his own bed.

Churchgoer Jales - described by the boy as a "hanger-on" - had laid out pornography on the bed before undressing the youngster and abusing him. "It was furtive and it was squalid," recalled the complainant.

Mark Jales

His younger brother fell into the clutches of Tuffill aged just six years-old. "He groomed and abused him," said Miss Cottage.

"Tuffill started touching him before he even joined the choir. He would pull down the child's pyjama bottoms."

The complainant recalls being abused on both days of a trip to Cheddar Gorge when he stayed at a bed and breakfast with Tuffill.

A fourth complainant came forward and reported he had also been abused by Tuffill.

Tuffill has pleaded not guilty to two sample counts of buggery in relation to the first boy; three counts of indecent assault in relation to the second boy; six counts of indecent assault in relation to the third boy and two counts of indecent assault in relation to the fourth boy.

Heather denies one count of buggery in relation to the first boy and two counts of indecent assault in relation to the second boy.

Fuller, Lawty, Coulthart and Jales deny two counts of buggery in relation to the first boy and Jales alone denies an additional charge of indecently assaulting the second boy.

All the counts span from January 14, 1977 to October 27, 1986.

Trial continues……………