NEIL THOMPSON FROM POOLE FREED AFTER GROPING TEENAGE PUPIL IN CHESHIRE

In a recent development in a long-standing case, Neil Thompson, a 65-year-old vicar from Poole, has been released from custody after serving time for serious allegations of sexual misconduct involving a teenage girl. The incident took place during the 1970s in Knutsford, Cheshire, where Thompson was providing piano lessons to a young girl. According to court records, Thompson was found guilty of twice fondling the girl’s breasts over her clothing while she was playing the piano, an act that the court described as an abuse of trust between a tutor and a pupil.

During the trial, Thompson maintained that his actions were limited to innocent hugs and denied any sexual intent. Despite his claims, the court convicted him on two counts of indecent assault. He was acquitted on two other charges that involved a different girl, indicating that the evidence was specific to the incidents in Knutsford.

Thompson was sentenced to a year in prison at Chester Crown Court, which was held in Warrington, on August 16. His legal representative, barrister Nick Robinson, argued that the sentence was excessively harsh and should have been suspended, emphasizing that Thompson’s misconduct was an isolated incident in an otherwise law-abiding life. Robinson described the crimes as an ‘aberration’ and highlighted Thompson’s otherwise good character.

However, Lord Justice Elias, presiding over the Court of Appeal, emphasized that the offences represented a clear abuse of the trust placed in Thompson as a tutor. The judge, sitting alongside Mr Justice Sweeney and Judge Nicholas Dean QC, acknowledged Thompson’s otherwise blameless reputation but pointed out that the convictions had significant repercussions. These included the loss of his reputation and the emotional distress caused to his wife of 44 years and his family. The court recognized the profound impact of the convictions, despite the character references and the context of the case, and ultimately decided to uphold the decision to release Thompson from custody.