Man found guilty of harassing female vicar he branded 'evil'

Nigel Abraham, 50, appeared at Leeds Magistrates' Court charged with making distressing phone calls to Christine Wilson when she was vicar in the parish at St Mary's and St Laurence's, Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex.

He was also accused of leaving an offensive message on her office answerphone and sending an unpleasant email.

Mrs Wilson, who is the now the Archdeacon of Chesterfield, told the court she met the defendant fairly regularly but relations soured and on October 7 last year she was in the vicarage one evening when the phone rang and she recognised the accused's voice.

She said: "He said sex and ambition, that's what you are about. He then went into one of his rants about how I was evil and only interested in promotion.''

James Goddard, prosecuting, asked her: "What was the tone of his voice like?'' She said: "Slightly confrontational. I put the phone down on him.''

Mr Goddard said: "Did he telephone again?'' She said: "He rang again about 10-15 minutes later and my husband (Alan) answered the phone.''

Mr Goddard said: "How did you feel about this second call?'' She said: "I suppose I was alarmed because it looked as if he was going to start up contacting me again.''

Abraham, of Glensdale Terrace, Leeds, had received a warning in 2008 regarding his conduct by police.

Mr Wilson told how on October 7 he was at home in Goring-by-Sea when there was a phone call which his wife answered. He said: "I could see she was distressed and said: 'it's him'.

"I said I will speak to him.'' After Abraham hung up Mr Wilson said he phoned again. He said: "I said: 'why do you keep doing this?' He said: 'your wife is very wicked.' I think I then said to him what is it that you want, what is your problem?

He said: "You don't know the half of it, your wife is very wicked, she marginalised me from the church.''

He said Abraham also suggested she had had "an inappropriate

relationship with an elderly man in his 90s''.

He added: "He said I am going to do everything I can, he would not give up on this. He said he was going to take this to the Bishop and tell them all about Christine.

"I said I think you probably need some help. He was not very happy with that response. He said the reason your daughter is going to die is because your wife is very wicked.

"My daughter had terminal cancer and in fact died two-and-a-half-weeks later. I was clearly very upset about the remark about my daughter.''

Abraham, asked by defence solicitor Alex Boyd about Mrs Wilson, said: "The relationship between Christine Wilson and myself had broken down. I was homeless at the time. Things were going very badly wrong for myself.

"For Christine sex was an important feature of her time in Hove. It could not be disputed that she was ambitious. She had a look about her.''

Regarding his comments about the couple's daughter, Sarah, he said: "It was mentioned in church. It was a terrible tragedy for them but it should be explained that they were the architects of their own misfortune.''

Mr Goddard asked him what his feelings were about Mrs Wilson. He said: "I certainly feel very betrayed. She could be very unpleasant when she wanted to be.''

And in an outburst, he said: "I would have to kill her if there was any chance of her becoming a bishop.''

Deputy District Judge Leo Pyle found Abraham guilty of harassment and adjourned sentence until August 11 for pre-sentence reports.

Abraham was bailed on condition that he complied with the Probation Service and did not contact the couple directly or indirectly.