Father Reg Trial: Priest Found Guilty

Guilty: Father Reg

A Roman Catholic priest, who fondled a 17 year-old boy flutist between the legs after treating him to a Wembley Arena opera three decades ago, has finally been convicted.

Father Reginald Dunkling, 63, allowed the teenager - who played flute in a church band - to sleepover at Our Lady of Muswell in north London.

Wood Green Crown Court heard that during the night he lay on the bedroom floor and forced his hand under the covers, molesting the boy over his boxer shorts.

Dunkling - known as Father Reg - of Chequers End, Gadsden Row, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire was found guilty of one count of indecently assaulting the boy on a day between April 1992 and April 1993.

After six hours of deliberation following three days of evidence the remaining eleven jurors convicted him by a majority of 10-1.

“There will need to be a pre-sentence report and I agree it was an abuse of trust,” announced Judge Rachael Harrison.

“I am making no promises about what the sentence will be. The starting point is twenty-six weeks custody on the current guidelines.”

Father Dunkling’s lawyer Tanya Panagiotopoulou said: “There will also have to be medical reports. There are complex medical issues as he is awaiting surgery for bowel cancer and amputation of his foot.”

Bailing the priest until October 13 the judge told him: “I appreciate this procedure has been difficult for you and you said you didn’t do this, but the jury have said that you did.”