19/09/02
Priest with taste for Versace suits found guilty of sex assault
Sep 19 2002
By Daily Post Correspondent
A SENIOR Catholic priest has been convicted of indecently assaulting a 19-year-old youth. Father Anthony McCaffrey, who is next to the Archbishop of Liverpool in the church hierarchy, committed the offence just hours after flying back from a week-long trip to the Vatican on church business. The public gallery at the city's Crown Court was crowded with his friends and supporters who gasped and shouted "no" in disbelief. Many broke down in tears when the jury of five women and seven men returned their majority verdict of 11-1 following three hours' deliberation. Judge David Maddison told 41-year-old Fr McCaffrey, who showed no emotion: "You are very much at risk of a custodial sentence." He remanded him on bail until October 17 to enable a pre-sentence report to be prepared. During his five day trial, the victim, who is now a 21-yearold university student, told how Fr McCaffrey, who is known for his love of designer clothing including Versace, had said he and a friend could spend the night at his home rather than sleep on the floor of a nearby club. He thought he would sleep on the floor or a couch but Fr McCaffrey told him to sleep in his bed and he did so, just wearing his boxer shorts, assuming that the priest would sleep on the settee. But he awoke in the morning to find the priest in the bed performing a sex act on him. He immediately asked what he was doing, leapt out of bed, dressed and ran out of the presbytery. The victim said he was crying and shocked and rang his girlfriend who collected him. They then went back to the presbytery and he confronted Fr McCaffrey.
Priest with taste for Versace suits found guilty of sex assault
Sep 19 2002
By Daily Post Correspondent
A SENIOR Catholic priest has been convicted of indecently assaulting a 19-year-old youth. Father Anthony McCaffrey, who is next to the Archbishop of Liverpool in the church hierarchy, committed the offence just hours after flying back from a week-long trip to the Vatican on church business. The public gallery at the city's Crown Court was crowded with his friends and supporters who gasped and shouted "no" in disbelief. Many broke down in tears when the jury of five women and seven men returned their majority verdict of 11-1 following three hours' deliberation. Judge David Maddison told 41-year-old Fr McCaffrey, who showed no emotion: "You are very much at risk of a custodial sentence." He remanded him on bail until October 17 to enable a pre-sentence report to be prepared. During his five day trial, the victim, who is now a 21-yearold university student, told how Fr McCaffrey, who is known for his love of designer clothing including Versace, had said he and a friend could spend the night at his home rather than sleep on the floor of a nearby club. He thought he would sleep on the floor or a couch but Fr McCaffrey told him to sleep in his bed and he did so, just wearing his boxer shorts, assuming that the priest would sleep on the settee. But he awoke in the morning to find the priest in the bed performing a sex act on him. He immediately asked what he was doing, leapt out of bed, dressed and ran out of the presbytery. The victim said he was crying and shocked and rang his girlfriend who collected him. They then went back to the presbytery and he confronted Fr McCaffrey.