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Jury discharged in trial of ex-priest who ran rave-inspired 'cult' group
A jury has been discharged in the trial of a former Church of England priest who ran a rave-inspired "cult" group.
Christopher Brain, 68, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, was the leader of the Nine O'Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield between 1986 and 1995. He was charged with one count of rape and 36 counts of indecent assault between 1981 and 1995 against 13 women.
Brain, who denied all the charges, was found guilty of 17 counts of indecent assault relating to nine women and acquitted of 15 similar charges. The 11-strong jury, sitting at Inner London Crown Court, was discharged by Judge Freya Newbery on Thursday after failing to reach a verdict on five counts, having started deliberations on 12 August.
The judge told the jurors: "I am going to discharge you now on those counts. For you, it all comes to an end now.
"I am really grateful for such a lot of time that you have given." A further hearing to determine whether prosecutors believe there are grounds for a retrial for the charges was set for 4 September. The prosecution previously told jurors that NOS, which was aimed at younger people, "presented itself to the outside world as a progressive force for good".
But the court heard Brain "dominated and abused his position" to sexually assault a "staggering number of women from his congregation.
Amir Nisi
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