BRIAN SPENCE FROM CROWTHORNE AND EAST GRINSTEAD JAILED IN HOOK FOR INDECENT ASSAULTS ON GIRLS

In a case that has shocked the local communities of Crowthorne, East Grinstead, and Hook, Brian Spence, a retired vicar, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of multiple counts of indecent assault against young girls. The offences took place primarily during the 1990s, a period during which Spence held positions of religious authority at different churches in Berkshire and Hampshire.

Brian Spence, who previously served as the vicar at St Mary the Virgin Church on Windmill Lane in East Grinstead from 1981 to 1985, was later the vicar at St John the Baptist Church in Crowthorne, Berkshire. It was during his tenure there, between 1994 and 1998, that the criminal acts occurred. The allegations involve four girls, aged between 10 and 15 at the time, who endured the abuse over a span of several years.

The court proceedings revealed that Spence was charged with nine counts of indecent assault. After a thorough trial, he was convicted on seven counts, with four of those convictions announced yesterday afternoon and the remaining three confirmed today. The jury, composed of nine men and three women, was unable to reach a verdict on the final two counts, which will now be laid on file.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Nicholas Wood addressed Spence directly, stating, “You used and abused and exploited the trust placed in you to indecently assault four girls.” He further added, “But there was another, deeper, dark side of you. You had, in the 90s, an unhealthy sexual interest in children.”

As a result of his conviction, Brian Spence was sentenced to serve four years in prison. Additionally, he was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life, marking a significant step in the justice process for the victims and the community at large.

It is noteworthy that Spence, now aged 74 and residing in Nursery Close, Hook, Hampshire, had previously served as priest-in-charge at St Mark’s Church in Englefield before his retirement. The allegations and subsequent conviction have cast a long shadow over his religious career and the communities he served in, prompting ongoing discussions about safeguarding and trust within religious institutions.