Former Church Minister Jailed for 15 Years for Raping His Wife and Stepdaughter

Stroud News & Journal
February 26, 2013

http://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/10251652.Former_church_minister_jailed_for_15_years_for_raping_his_wife_and_stepdaughter/

A FORMER evangelical church minister who subjected his family to sexual abuse and cruelty and was jailed for 15 years on Friday.

Jailing the man at Gloucester Crown Court, Judge Jamie Tabor described him as 'bullying and tyrannical'.

The man, from the Quedgeley area, was convicted earlier this month of raping his wife and stepdaughter and of cruelty against both the stepdaughter and a stepson.

During the trial, the court heard how the man imposed a 'Victorian nightmare' on his family.

Jurors were told that the man - who attended an evangelical church with his wife and had once been a minister - had a perverted understanding of the Bible and believed a woman was committing a sin if she refused to allow her husband to have sex with her.

He was found guilty of 10 sexual offences and two child cruelty charges dating from March 1995 to January 2010.

Judge Tabor said: "You were still enjoying a sexual relationship with your wife but during the latter stages of the relationship she became increasingly reluctant - and you became more and more demanding and forceful. On at least two occasions you simply raped her when she refused to have sex with you.

"You have left in your wake some deeply troubled people."

The man's barrister, David Martin, conceded there was little to be said on his behalf.

His client, he said, maintained a 'blanket denial' of all the allegations.

The man was sentenced to 11 years for raping his stepdaughter, three years for raping his wife and one year for cruelty.