Father Reginald Dunkling, 63, is accused of allowing the teenager - who played flute in a church band - to sleepover at Our Lady of Muswell in north London and then sneaked into his bedroom.
Wood Green Crown Court heard the priest lay down 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 has pleaded not guilty to one count of indecently assaulting the boy on a day between April 1992 and April 1993.
He told the trial he entered the priesthood, aged 18 years-old and was ordained six years later.
Father Dunkling said it was not just the music-loving teenager he took to live events, but any parishioner who wanted one of his free tickets.
“I had a lot of contacts in the West End and Theatreland and I was fortunate to be offered a lot of tickets. When you’re offered a freebie you take it because you can’t afford it.”
He denied laying on his hotel bed with the then-15 year-old complainant while holding his hand and telling the boy he was in love with him during a Lourdes trip.
“I have no recollection, no,” said the priest, suggesting the boy may have mixed-up his spiritual message.
“It was my responsibility to preach the Gospel of love. One of our mantras is: ‘You are loved. You are loved by the church, you are loved by God.’
“I would not be lying on the bed with him and I have told hundreds, maybe thousands of people they are loved.
“I would have no reason to be in a bedroom with him, holding his hand.
“I was not in love with him, I can categorically say that. That was my mantra, that was my work to preach the Gospel. Many of them felt unloved by their families and I was just doing my job.”
Shortly afterwards the youngster joined Father Dunkling and another man on a trip to Tenerife, where he says the clergyman got drunk and complained: “You don’t love me.”
“I can’t say that I would have been drunk, but we would have a drink after dinner, we were on holiday. If I did that I would remember that.”
The priest conceded he did take the complainant to a Wembley Arena opera once, but denied molesting him at the Mussel Hill priest’s house afterwards.
Prosecutor David Harounoff asked: “Can you think of any motive why these three people should say things about you? referring to the complainant, a Lourdes witness and a female confidant.
“I have been asking myself that question since the police knocked on my door,” replied Father Dunkling. “That morning I was woken at 6.30am by four police officers. I was in total and utter shock.
“I was in my bedroom and I was terrified. It was dreadful, I was so embarrassed, I was humiliated.
“I was put in a holding cell for seven hours and talking about it now brings back bad feelings. I was offered a glass of warm water on one of the hottest days of the year and the officers went out for lunch.”
He told police he had “no recall” of the complainant being part of the Lourdes trip. “Are you trying to distance yourself from him?” asked the prosecutor.
He also denied telling the officers he took the youngster to an opera and spending ‘one-on-one time with the male. “Are you distancing because you know the assault was after the opera?” questioned Mr Harounoff.
“I was not deliberately misleading the police officers,” replied the priest.
When accused of not being truthful during police questioning he said: “I was extremely upset and nervous and felt threatened.”
Mr Harounoff said: “I suggest you were sexually attracted to him from the age of fifteen when you told him you loved him. It was not a spiritual thing you were communicating.”
Trial continues………….
What ever happened in this trial and sentencing?
ReplyDeleteHe is currently on bail awaiting sentence.
ReplyDelete