A former Bradford vicar was “devastated” at learning that a young teenage parishioner had accused him of “touching him up”, a jury has heard.

Graham Doyle, 69, was spoken to by police and social services at his home in Killyon Hill, Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland, when the allegations came to light in 2014.

He is on trial at Bradford Crown Court accused of two counts of indecent assault against the boy, alleged to have taken place during his time as vicar at St Oswald’s Church in Little Horton between 1986 and1991.

Prosecutor Andrew Semple has told the jury that while helping to support the boy through a family emergency, Doyle assaulted him as they sat on the sofa of the vicarage where the defendant lived.

Doyle is accused of undoing the boy’s trousers and performing sexual acts on him on multiple occasions.

David Toal, defending, said that Doyle, who the jury have heard is gay, was an Australian national who had moved to the UK permanently in 1985, having previously studied at Oxford.

He worked in a parish in Shepherd’s Bush in London before taking the role at St Oswald’s in 1986.

The court heard that he then worked in the former Yugoslavia before moving to Ireland in 2000.

Asked how he felt on hearing about the allegations in 2014, Doyle replied: “I was devastated.

“I just didn’t know what to do.”

In a statement given by Doyle to Irish police, he said of his conduct with the boy: “Absolutely nothing improper or untoward happened. I did not touch him, ever.”

Giving evidence yesterday, Doyle said he knew the boy and his family through his work with the church.

Asked by Mr Semple how frequently he had sat on the sofa with the boy, Doyle said: “I have no recollection of that at all.”

When asked whether he had ever physically comforted him, the defendant added: “I don’t generally put my arm on anyone.

“I never have.”

Accused of touching the boy in his groin area and later feeling “disgusted” with himself, Doyle told the jury: “I didn’t touch him. I’m not disgusted with myself, I’m very proud of who I am.”

The boy said Doyle’s conduct stopped when he went to stay with family in a different area of the country, but added that when he later returned to Bradford, the defendant showed him a house and said: “I’ve bought that for you.”

In his evidence, Doyle said he had bought the property in 1991 to maintain a base in the UK, saying he needed to visit at least once every two years to maintain his visa.

When accused by Mr Semple of showing the house to the boy and saying he had bought it for him to maintain a bond and “buy his silence”, Doyle replied: “That’s rubbish. That’s preposterous.”

Asked whether he could think of any reason why the complainant had made the allegations against him, Doyle said: “I have no idea why he would say that.”

The trial continues.