Priest ordered to pay £70,000 damages

Father Fitzpatrick has apologised

A priest has been ordered to pay more than £70,000 in damages for sexually abusing a parishoner who sought his spiritual guidance.

A hearing at Birmingham County Court heard that Father Terence Fitzpatrick told Pamela Brown that "sex games" would be therapeutic.

The court heard he also told her that they were being conducted "in the name of our Lord".

It was an unspeakable breach of trust by a priest whose help was sought by a vulnerable parishioner after years of earlier abuse

Mark Hollinghurst, Mrs Brown's solicitor

Judge Frances Kirkham awarded a total of £70,480 damages to Mrs Brown, 47, for general and aggravated damages and to cover the cost of future psychiatric treatment.

The court heard the abuse happened between 1989 and 1991 while Father Fitzpatrick was parish priest at St Osburg's Roman Catholic in Coventry.

It left the 47-year-old divorcee suffering from post-traumatic flashbacks and worsened obsessive disorders she had.

Father Fitzpatrick, who admitted liability last month, is now based at Berkshire's Douai Abbey and is a member of the Benedictine order.

'Pain and suffering'

As he left court the priest issued a statement acknowledging that he had acted badly and foolishly and apologised for any damage done to Mrs Brown.

He said: "I very much hope that Mrs Brown is now able to move on and find a measure of healing and peace in her hectic life."

He has maintained that sexual intercourse never took place.

Mrs Brown's solicitor Mark Hollinghurst, said his client was satisfied with the amount of damages that had been awarded.

He added: "The award reflects the amount of pain and suffering she had been through as a result of the assault at the hands of Father Fitzpatrick.

"Mrs Brown has maintained her dignity as best she can throughout the course of the court proceedings.

"This was no affair, it was an unspeakable breach of trust by a priest whose help was sought by a vulnerable parishioner after years of earlier abuse."