AN 81-year-old man who told a court homosexuality had ‘no place’ in the Church of England has been found guilty of harassing a vicar.
Eccentric former county councillor Jack Brown, of Lamb Lane, Monk Bretton, sent letters to vicar of Monk Bretton, Fr Brian Bell, questioning his sexuality, and when Fr Bell refused to answer, he began an 11-month campaign of harassment.
The court was told that Brown, as well as sending four letters to Fr Bell, also wrote letters to Archbishop of York John Sentamu, Pope Francis, members of St Paul’s congregation, its parochial church council (PCC) and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon all received letters from Brown in which he referenced his views on homosexuality within the clergy.
Fr Bell was visibly shaken as he gave his evidence behind a screen at Brown’s trial at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. Brown had pleaded not guilty to harassing the vicar between October 27, 2016 to September 18, 2017.
Fr Bell, who began his role at St Paul’s Church, Monk Bretton, in June 2016 said he had endured sleepless nights due to Brown’s unrelenting questioning of his sexuality.
He said: “One letter said that if I didn’t respond, he would presume the answer to the question was ‘yes’. It caused considerable distress - I wondered why he was doing it and what the purpose was.
“I am a private person so whether I am homosexual or not is irrelevant. He purposely made inroads into someone’s private life to cause distress. I read a line in one letter saying that ‘if he is homosexual, I demand his resignation’. These were sent to not only me, but senior figures within the Church of England.”
The court was told that more than a dozen letters eventually made their way to Fr Bell indirectly after parishioners and colleagues made him aware of more allegations being sent by Brown.
“I had been in the Monk Bretton parish for a matter of months and the letters had not stopped, if anything it was going a stage further,” Fr Bell added. “They made repeated references to homosexuality and resignation.
“I was in the process of establishing myself within the community and trying to build relationships, so I had a great fear that my reputation was being sullied and I was being forced into what he wanted me to do which was leave.
“My position was becoming untenable as Mr Brown’s claims were in the public sphere. I was worried and also worried what people’s reactions would be. It was a very anxious time but the vindictive campaign did not stop.
“The language used in the letters was repulsive, disturbing and disgusting. A nearby church, St Mary Magdalene’s at Lundwood, was also sent a letter by Mr Brown referring to a ‘sodomite vicar’, which was clearly aimed at me.”
Brown continued to deny harassing Fr Bell in court and claimed he had sent letters in the hope of ‘engaging debate’.
“The church has tolerated homosexual priests in the past - the movement is heretical and it has got to stop,” he said. “I fight for that against the Church of England and hoped for replies and debate.
“I am not homophobic, I have friends who are gay, but the issue is purely within the church.
“I intended him (Fr Bell) to have some of the letters, but not others, although there was nothing really offensive in them. I don’t believe I harassed him as I explained why I sent them. As a parishioner, I wanted to know if he was homosexual or not.
“I will not dignify him with the title of ‘priest’. He is a Church of England vicar so can’t expect the same treatment as others - it was a simple question.”
Brown, who described himself as a wordsmith and a poet in court, was found guilty of harassment by District Judge Paul Healey, who adjourned the trial for a pre-sentence report.
