EDINBURGH (UNITED KINGDOM)
Daily Record [Glasgow, Scotland]
February 1, 2022
By Alan McEwen
Martins Enegbuma was convicted of sexual assaulting the woman, who is in her 20s, after a two-day trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
A Catholic priest has been convicted of sexually assaulting a young parishioner while she visited him with her family on Christmas Day.
Martins Enegbuma carried out the attack on the victim, who is in her 20s, in a house he was living in next door to his Edinburgh church.
The 44-year-old subjected her to unwanted kisses, rubbed her foot, and ran his hands over her body.
The victim, along with her mother and another relative, had visited Enegbuma as they didn’t want him to be alone for Christmas and brought him food.
Enegbuma was living in the house beside Our Lady, Mother of the Church in the city’s Currie area.
He left the woman “distressed” after what was branded a “catalogue of sexual touching” during the family’s 45 minute stay.
He went on trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, where he denied the charge, and was found guilty by a sheriff on Tuesday.
Fiscal depute Ross Price told the court how the family had gone to wish Enegbuma a “Merry Christmas” on December 25 2020.
Mr Price said Enegbuma “instigated a campaign of sexual touching”.
The prosecutor described how the woman was “pinned in” by Enegbuma during one encounter on a staircase.
He described how Enegbuma had carried out a “gross abuse of position” and a “gross abuse of trust”.
Mr Price said the victim was “set upon in a predatory fashion” by Enegbuma who was responsible for a “catalogue of sexual touching”.
It added up, he said, to become “one horrible incident”.
Mr Price said the victim had given evidence about her “repulsion” over the priest’s actions and his “lingering wet kisses”.
The court was told the victim told her mother about what had occurred later on Christmas Day having been initially “frightened” of her reaction.
The trial heard how the victim’s mother gave evidence about Enegbuma’s “unpriestly conduct”.
Enegbuma had known the woman for several months as a member of the congregation, the court was told.
Finding Enegbuma guilty, Sheriff Adrian Fraser said he considered the victim and her mother to have been “credible and reliable” witnesses.
The sheriff said he’d found the touching did take place, that it was “intentional” and “sexual”, and there was no consent.
He told Enegbuma that the victim and her family had “shown kindness to you at Christmas” when he carried out the assault, adding: “This is clearly a serious matter.”
Enegbuma was found guilty of sexually assaulting the woman by repeatedly lungeing over her, rubbing her foot, compressing her toe, embracing her, kissing her on the hand, kissing her on the forehead, and running his hands over her body.
Sheriff Fraser deferred sentence on Enegbuma, who is now living in the city’s Niddrie area, until March for reports.
He ordered Enegbuma be placed on the sex offenders register and continued his bail.