A CHURCH minister forced himself on a woman to rid her of “demons”, a jury at Bradford Crown Court was told yesterday.

Giving evidence, the husband of an alleged victim described reading a newspaper report of Pastor John Wilson’s arrest in May last year.

He said seeing the news spurred his wife into giving evidence as she believed she had witnessed some of the assaults taking place, but after speaking to police she said she had also been a victim of the minister's assaults.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said his wife had been a member of the Liberty Pentecostal Church in Sunderland Street, Keighley, when she was younger before they were married, but he had no prior knowledge of her allegations.

In a police interview, she told police of the multiple assaults she was a victim of, and her husband said he was “very shocked” when she told him about them afterwards.

He added that his wife had also told him she had seen women being taken into the prayer room at the church “screaming in fear”.

The sexual assaults are alleged to have taken place at Wilson’s home, when she attended for ‘deliverance’ sessions and marriage guidance.

However, in a police interview with Wilson read out in court, he maintained he had never seen the woman for such sessions.

“I never said she had sexualised demons,” he told the officers interviewing him.

When told the woman had said she remembered him undressing, Wilson said: “It is all fabrication, it is all lies”.

He added: “I have never been involved with her in that way whatsoever.”

Wilson, 70, of Shann Avenue, Keighley, is accused of sexually abusing seven women to rid them of evil spirits, and denies 31 charges, including two of rape, 23 indecent assaults, four of conspiracy to commit indecent assault, and a sexual assault.

He denies all the allegations against him.

His wife Mary Wilson, 79, also of Shann Avenue, denies two counts of aiding and abetting indecent assault and one charge of conspiring to commit indecent assault.

Church pastor Laurence Peterson, 59, of Eric Street, Keighley, denies four counts of aiding and abetting indecent assault and three counts of conspiring to commit indecent assault.

The alleged abuse took place between 1984 and 2010.

The trial continues.