Peter Turner: Ex-monk at Catholic boarding school jailed for more than 20 years for child abuse

Stephanie Cockroft12 February 2020
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A former monk at a Catholic boarding school who continued to abuse young boys after confessing to having sexual contact with a pupil has been jailed for more than 20 years.

Peter Turner, 80, sexually abused two boys after he was forced to leave Ampleforth College, in North Yorkshire, and sent away to work in a parish in Workington, Cumbria.

He was sentenced to 20 years and 10 months at York Crown Court on Wednesday after admitting to a string of sexual offences committed more than 30 years ago against three boys aged between nine and 12.

Turner, who was previously known as Father Gregory Carroll, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to 11 counts of indecent assault, two counts of buggery and one count of gross indecency with a child.

Peter Turner, 80, sexually abused two boys after being sent to work in a parish in Cumbria
PA

He served another jail sentence in 2005 after he admitted offences against 10 pupils at Ampleforth between 1979 and 1987.

Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, said: "You have brought evil into this world when, by your calling, you should have brought hope, help and succour."

The judge told Turner: "You were a priest at Ampleforth boarding school. It's a religious school and, no doubt, because of that, that's a comfort to parents because they will be thinking that they are entrusting the care of their child to men of God, instead, in your case it was to a man of evil."

The court heard emotional victim impact statements from the three men in which they spoke about the effect Turner's abuse has had on their lives.

After sending Turner to the cells, Judge Morris said: "All of them have talked about their shame. They have nothing to be ashamed of, they carry no guilt. I hope this helps, in some way, to put them at peace."

Turner admitted committing indecent assault and buggery against a boy at Ampleforth between September 1984 and January 1987, when the boy was aged between 10 and 12.

Turner was previously known as Father Gregory Carroll 
PA

Tom Storey, prosecuting, told the court that Turner abused the boy "comprehensively" in a number of areas of Ampleforth, including during car journeys.

He showed the boy pornography, made him perform sex acts on him and himself, touched him sexually and committed buggery.

Mr Storey said Turner told the boy it was their secret and gave him sweets and alcohol and taught him how to drive a car in the school grounds.

He said: "He described being completely dominated by the defendant and completely at his mercy, unable of saying anything and did not know who to seek help from."

He was sentenced to 20 years and 10 months
PA

Judge Morris told Turner: "You abused your position as teacher and priest to sexually abuse (the boy) repeatedly, callously and with devastating effects on his life. You have ruined his life and will continue to do so."

Turner was removed from Ampleforth in 1987 and sent to work in a parish in Workington after he told the headmaster about having sexual contact with a pupil. While in Cumbria, he went on to abuse two more boys.​

One of the victims in Workington was just nine or 10 when Turner indecently assaulted him between October 1987 and December 1988.

Mr Storey told the court that Turner became "increasingly tactile" with the boy, tickling him before going on to touch him sexually and perform sex acts.

The abuse took place in the vestry, on a remote beach and in Turner's car in a lay-by on a walking trip to the Lake District.

The court heard that the boy reported the abuse in 2006 after reading an article about Turner's conviction for abusing pupils at Ampleforth. But the CPS took the decision that it was not in the public interest to bring further charges as he was already serving a prison sentence.

The third victim was aged between 10 and 12 when Turner committed gross indecency and indecent assault against him between June 1987 and June 1990.

The court heard that Turner abused him in the rectory of the church in Workington, performing sex acts on himself and the boy.

The court heard that, in 1999, Turner told the headmaster at Ampleforth that he had abused more than one boy at the school.

He was recalled from Workington and confined to the monastery at Ampleforth in 2002 after the publication of the Nolan Report into the problem of clerical child abuse.

He was seen by a clinical psychologist who felt obliged to tell the police about his disclosures, leading to his conviction and four-year jail sentence in 2005.

Turner denied abusing any children in Workington until he entered his guilty pleas on Tuesday.

Nicola Gatto, defending, said he had not offended since returning to Ampleforth and recognised that he may never leave prison, which would be "onerous" and "difficult" for him.

She said: "This is going to have a very significant effect on this defendant and the victims listening will no doubt think this is no more than he deserves."

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