ABUSIVE VICAR WHOSE VICTIM SAW HIM AS A FATHER FIGURE
David Fletcher, aged 63, was employed as a headteacher at a school in Bradford during the late 1980s when he committed acts of indecent assault involving a young boy in a smallholding located in Queensbury, West Yorkshire.Last month, a jury was informed that the boy, considered vulnerable, viewed Fletcher as a paternal figure.
However, he was assaulted while assisting with goat herding at Fletcher’s property.
Fletcher, who resides on Pulham Lane in Wetwang, Driffield, was convicted by the jury on two specific charges of indecent assault.
He was subsequently acquitted on six other allegations relating to the same individual.
His professional journey changed in 2001 when he became an ordained priest of the Church of England.
Despite this, he has not served as a vicar since the charges were brought.
Barrister Rodney Ferm, representing Fletcher a married man stated that his client had lost his reputation among those he served for many years and had also been deprived of his job and his home.
“Mr.
and Mrs.
Fletcher are seeking to relocate outside the Driffield area because his reputation there has been severely damaged by the jury's decision in this case,” Ferm explained.
The incidents involved Fletcher kissing the boy, touching him over his lower clothing, and under his shirt.
Judge Roger Thomas QC, the Recorder of Bradford, was informed that Fletcher had undergone a triple bypass heart surgery in 2015 and continues to take medication.
His wife’s health was also described as poor.
Ferm argued that Fletcher is unlikely to offend again, citing the past 30 years as evidence of his reformation.
Judge Thomas acknowledged that the conviction would have serious repercussions for Fletcher and his family, indicating that it could effectively end his role as a church minister.
The judge further noted that the abuse occurred multiple times over approximately 18 months.
As a result of the conviction, Fletcher will be required to register as a sex offender with the authorities.
