A WOMAN has told a jury how she “kicked out” at the “private parts” of a church minister after he groped her over her skirt during a “healing” session at his home.

Now aged in her 80s, the alleged victim, who cannot be named, told Bradford Crown Court that she had travelled to the home of Pastor John Wilson, 70, and his wife, Mary, 79, at some point in the mid-1980s, when she was in her late 40s.

The woman told the court that she sat on a pillow on the floor of the house as John Wilson prayed for her, with Mary Wilson, Laurence Peterson, 59, and her husband also present, but at the far side of the room.

Describing the alleged incident, she said: “It was very brief. I managed to struggle to my feet and said ‘that’s enough, I’m leaving’.”

John Wilson, of Shann Avenue, Keighley, who ran a Pentecostal group in Keighley and Shipley, denies sexually abusing seven women to rid them of evil spirits. He pleads not guilty to 31 allegations, including two of rape, 24 of indecent assault, four of conspiracy to commit indecent assault and one charge of sexual assault.

He denies 11 charges of indecent assault and one of conspiracy to commit indecent assault.

Mary Wilson, of the same address, pleads not guilty to two charges of indecent assault and a single allegation of conspiracy to commit indecent assault.

Peterson, of Eric Street, Keighley, denies three charges of indecent assault and four allegations of conspiracy to commit indecent assault.

Jo Sidhu, for John Wilson, said: “You believe you kicked out and hit him in the private parts because he groaned?”, to which the woman replied: “Yes.”

Asked whether her husband had made any attempt to intervene at any point during the alleged incident, the woman said: “No. He seemed to be frozen to the spot.”

Mr Sidhu put it to the woman that she had travelled “hundreds of miles” to see the Wilsons in a bid to seek help for health issues, specifically for gynaecological problems.

The woman agreed that John Wilson had briefly pressed around the area of her groin with an open hand, but disputed Mr Sidhu’s assertion that he had touched her in that way to try and help with her medical complaint.

He said: “He was simply touching you in the area of your body where the problems lay.”

She replied: “If he intended to do that, he should have spoken about it first. It was very humiliating.”

Mr Sidhu asked her: “Do you feel that your perception of what you say happened, looking back, has been affected negatively, and that now you may look back at things differently?”

In response, the woman said: “I can’t say that. As far as I’m concerned, it shouldn’t have happened.”

The trial continues.

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