Vicar jailed for sex abuse

Robin Everett was sentenced to five years in jail

An elderly vicar who sexually abused two young girls in his parish for four years has been jailed.

Robin Everett, 69, who was given a five-year jail term, was told that he had committed a "gross abuse of trust" by taking advantage of the two youngsters.

On one occasion he abused one of the children in his own church vestry.

He had used the girls, who were aged between eight and 15, for his own gratification, and had ruined their lives, Judge Simon Hammond said at Leicester Crown Court.

'Abuse of trust'

The abuse happened between 1981 and 1985, when Everett was vicar of St Edward King and Martyr Church, in Castle Donington, Leicestershire.

Jailing Everett, the judge told him: "It was a gross abuse of trust as a parish priest to abuse those two young members of your flock for your own gratification.

I didn't think he'd get five years, but I'm very, very relieved that he has Sexual abuse victim

"How despicable to abuse a child in a church on consecrated ground.

"The lives of those two girls were ruined. They felt their childhood was stolen from them."

One of his victims commented outside the court: "I didn't think he'd get five years, but I'm very, very relieved that he has."

"I am relieved that we've actually come this far and gone through it all now."

A jury at the court convicted Everett, of Boulton Moor, Boulton, Derbyshire, who is now retired, of seven counts of indecent assault - five involving one girl and two involving the other.

Everett was also banned from working with children for life and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register.