Prayers said for injured victims of the "Otley Run" horror attack
The Right Reverend Arun Arora, the Bishop of Kirkstall, who oversees the City of Leeds for the Church of England said:'There is an understandable sense of shock and numbness for people hearing news of Saturday's events.
"Prayers were offered in church services this morning close to where the attack occurred and space was made in chapels for silent prayer following the services.
"We will continue to pray for those who were injured in the attack and those who witnessed it.
"We are thankful for the emergency services who attended the incident and those people who supported the victims of the attack at the scene.'
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The Independent
05-08-2025
- The Independent
‘I was the most radical ordained vicar there was': Church of England ‘cult' leader defends ‘sensual' contact with followers
A former priest accused of leading an evangelical cult in the Church of England has defended having 'sensual' contact with followers, telling the jury: 'I was the most radical ordained vicar there was.' Christopher Brain, who led the rave-style Nine O-Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield in the 80s and 90s, allegedly surrounded himself with women who wore lingerie or revealing clothes as part of his 'homebase team' who kept his house 'spotlessly clean'. Jurors at Inner London Crown Court previously heard the women – sometimes referred to as 'the Lycra Lovelies' or 'the Lycra Nuns' – were on a rota to help maintain the home of then-Reverend Brain. The 68-year-old denies one count of rape and 36 counts of indecent assault relating to 13 women in the church movement between 1981 and 1995. He accepts that he engaged in sexual activity with some of the complainants, but insists that it was consensual. Giving evidence for a second day, he defended the liaisons with members of his congregation when he was married with a young child. He claimed he and his former wife 'were in a pretty much open relationship' and considering splitting up, adding: 'I wasn't a traditional vicar, I was someone on a journey of radical research and experimentation.' The former clergyman, who was fast-tracked for ordination in 1991 after the movement attracted hundreds of younger congregants to the Church of England, previously told the court said he received 'sensual' back massages from women to relieve tension headaches. He claims he resigned from NOS to carry on his work in San Francisco in 1993, two years before the Sheffield church collapsed surrounded by controversy in 1995. Challenged over his contact with congregants on Tuesday, he replied: 'In a traditional setting I don't know. But if you are in a polyamorous community at the front edge of culture in San Francisco and at the heart of the rave movement, then obviously I thought it was OK.' He told the jury he and one complainant – who alleges he raped her at his home in Sheffield in 1983 or 1984 – engaged in 'petting' on a regular basis. He said he and his then-wife were 'pretty open', but if liaisons progressed to full sex it would be cheating. He admitted to having sex with the woman after it 'went too far', but said it was 'absolutely' consensual. 'We were in the bedroom and it just went too far,' he said. 'We started having sex and shortly after that started we stopped.' He said another woman, who accuses him of multiple counts of sexual assault, was 'totally happy with it'. 'It was a club environment' he added. 'It wasn't like a church house it was like a group of musicians living together.' He insisted sexual aggression is 'not my style' and contested his portrayal as some kind of 'lairy' guy. He alleged the liaisons came after trust had been built up over a long period of time. He added: 'I am not the type of guy to try it on, I never have been. It's not part of my character or my belief system.' He said an accusation he simulated a rape scene with one woman 'absolutely didn't happen' and denied a number of other charges, including an allegation he placed a woman's hand on his genitals. Questioned by his lawyer Iain Simkins KC over his appearance in a 1995 BBC documentary on NOS called Everyman, in which he admitted he was 'involved in improper sexual conduct with a number of women', he told the jury he 'over accepted responsibility' in the programme. 'I think it shows I pretty much over accepted responsibility,' he said. 'I massively accepted the responsibility for the bulk of it. Almost single handedly being blamed for everything that seemed to have gone wrong.' He insisted NOS was never a cult and denied he never engaged in a 'sexual healing practise' with female followers, adding: 'The sexual healing trope that is laid all over this case didn't exist.' He described the criminal charges as a 'witch hunt' and said the breakdown of NOS 'basically destroyed my life' in the 90s. The prosecution allege NOS became a 'closed and controlled' group which he used to 'sexually assault a staggering number of women from his congregation'. The eight-week trial continues.
Metro
05-08-2025
- Metro
‘Cult leader' admits to getting sensual back massages from ‘nuns' during trial
A Church of England priest has denied running a cult for attractive women to service him in the 80s and 90s. Christopher Brain, 68, is accused of rape and 36 counts of indecent assault against 13 women when he led the Nine O'Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield. The evangelical priest allegedly surrounded himself with women in lingerie – dubbed the Lycra Lovelies or Lycra Nuns – who would put him to bed, a court heard. NOS was aimed at 18 to 30-year-olds and shaped by the rave culture. Brain would wear the same cassock worn by Robert De Niro in the film The Mission for the ceremony. However, prosecutors said the service became a cult where Brain would abuse his position to sexually assault a 'staggering number' of women, exerting control over their lives and ostracising them from friends and family. Tim Clark, KC, accused Brain of grooming the women, touching them and re-enacting a film scene involving rape or sexual abuse over clothes. On Monday, Brain told jurors that the accusations against him were 'completely untrue' and that the women taking part wore clothes that reflected the fashions of the time. He said rather than him telling them what to wear, they were just fashion conscious. Defence lawyer Iain Simkin KC asked him why he received massages from women. He responded: 'I just did. Why not?' He added that some massages would become sensual, but it was between friends so was 'no big deal'. Brain also said that any touching of breasts during massages was consensual and that he would not touch anyone sexually if they were uncomfortable with it. When asked whether people were awestruck by him, Brain acknowledged that 'some people were desperate to be in [his] company' – but insisted he never exploited that admiration. Turning to questions of him starting a cult, he denied this saying that those involved were 'completely anti-cult'. He also rejected allegations of being a 'controlling maniac' and making members obey him for his sexual desires. The trial continues.
North Wales Chronicle
04-08-2025
- North Wales Chronicle
Former priest accused of assault says church group leadership was ‘on consensus'
Christopher Brain, 68, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, was leader of the evangelical movement the Nine O'Clock Service (NOS), part of the Church of England, in Sheffield between 1986 and 1995. Brain denies one count of rape and 36 counts of indecent assault between 1981 and 1995 against 13 women. Prosecutors say NOS became a cult where Brain abused his position to sexually assault a 'staggering number' of women followers, exerting control over their lives and ostracising them from friends and family. On Monday, Brain told jurors at Inner London Crown Court that he had a leading role in a group in the Yorkshire city from the early 1980s, which would later 'dissolve into' the NOS. Giving evidence in a navy suit, the defendant said the earlier group had been likened to a 'kibbutz' with 12 members who would focus on helping the poor and disadvantaged. Defence lawyer Iain Simkin KC asked Brain if he attempted to indoctrinate those in the group. Brain replied: 'No, of course not.' The defendant also denied trying to coerce others. Mr Simkin asked: 'Did you try to start a cult?' Brain said he did not, adding that those involved were 'completely anti-cult'. The NOS began in 1986, and the defendant said it had a 'team structure' but that he led the congregation. He told of leading the design of the worship, choosing the music, songs and lighting. Brain said he 'rarely' stood at the front of worships and instead played more of a 'producer' role. He told jurors: 'Yes I was a leader but there were other leaders as well.' Mr Simkin asked Brain if he was a 'controlling maniac' who ran a cult for his own ends. The defendant said he was not, adding that members were 'completely against a charismatic bloke leading the front of their service'. Mr Simkin asked the defendant if he made members 'obey' or if he turned them into 'robots' for his 'sexual desires', which he denied. Asked if members could work, the defendant said: 'Yes of course. Some of them had normal jobs.' Mr Simkin asked Brain about his leadership style, to which the defendant said: 'I think most of the time I worked on consensus, at the time that's what I thought was most considerate, making sure you take everybody with you.' But he admitted being 'Yorkshire and straight' and 'direct by today's standards'. Brain said that his role was 'totally consuming' and 'creatively intensive'. Mr Simkin also asked Brain if he dressed people down in public, humiliated them or wanted to control, which the defendant denied. He denied having an extravagant lifestyle, saying he lived in a two-bedroom terraced house and drove a third-hand Ford Escort before switching it for a Toyota. Mr Simkin asked Brain if he 'fleeced' others to pay for his lifestyle, and the defendant replied: 'No.' The trial continues.
