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Cathedral chancellor Paul Overend cleared of indecently assaulting student
By Thomas Deacon
Paul Overend was accused of kissing the woman at a gathering at his home in 1997 but denied the allegation and denied ever meeting the complainant A priest accused of indecently assaulting a student at a party has been acquitted by a jury. Former Cardiff University chaplain and priest the Reverend Dr Paul Overend was accused of kissing the woman at a gathering at his home in 1997. The 54-year-old denied the accusations and stood trial at Newport Crown Court. After more than an hour and a half of deliberations on Thursday the jury of 12 delivered a not guilty verdict on one count of indecent assault. The incident was alleged to have happened in 1997 at the chaplaincy in Park Place in Cardiff where he lived at the time. The court heard that Dr Overend, of Vicars Court, Lincoln, was previously married and divorced before he took holy orders in 1993. During his time as chaplain at Cardiff University Dr Overend told the court he had four relationships with students from the university and then a member of staff whom he later married. In 2017 Dr Overend said he took up his "dream job" as chancellor at Lincoln Cathedral but added he was "pulled immediately" from the post in April 2019 after the allegations were made. Dr Overend told the jury he and his wife lived in cathedral accommodation and after April 2019 they were forced to live elsewhere. During his evidence he told the court he did not recollect ever meeting the complainant. Judge Richard Williams thanked the jury for their service during "these difficult times" at the conclusion of the trial on Thursday.
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