NAKED PRIEST SUSPENDED - Tribunal upholds complaint that St Anne's cleric David Gilmore walked in on sex couple

Published: 07 January 2011
by JOSH LOEB

A PRIEST was suspended after an ecclesiastical tribunal upheld a complaint that he walked in naked on two guests having sex in the rectory at his Soho church.

Father David Gilmore was accused of holding uninvited conversations of a sexual nature with two guests he was hosting in the West End at the request of a friend.

Four members of a London Diocese dis­ciplinary tribunal accepted evidence that he had walked naked into their room in December 2009 knowing that they were involved in sexual activity and “impulsively” began masturbating himself. Fr Gilmore denies this.

He will be suspended for two years following the verdict.

The reason for his removal had not previously been known among parishioners in Soho and his supporters are upset at his sudden departure from St Anne’s in Wardour Street.

The tribunal judgment said that Fr Gilmore had undertaken “wholly inappropriate behaviour” towards the two men, who later lodged complaints with church authorities via the Archdeacon of Charing Cross, the Venerable Dr William Jacob, under ecclesiastical legislation known as the Clergy Discipline Measure.

The tribunal, held last month, found Fr Gilmore had “made a flawed decision” to walk naked into their bedroom.

Its judgment said he told the hearing that he had not known the men were involved in a sexual act and, while he was on his way to the bathroom in the nude, he had gone into their room to wake them for breakfast.

But the final judgment said: “The Respondent [Fr Gilmore] says the he peeped round the door and saw A and B engaged in sexual activity. Accepting such to be the case, we are satisfied that there was no need for him to walk further into the room.”

Fr Gilmore said that when he realised that he was naked he had left the room. The tribunal heard evidence in the form of witness statements made by the two men. One of them claimed that the night before he walked into the room the rector had asked to sleep in the same bed as him.

The panel also heard from a friend of Fr Gilmore’s, a woman referred to as “X”, who stated “knowing his character, integrity and honesty I find it incon­ceivable that he is invol­ved in any wrongdoing”.

Pip Granger, the author of a series of novels set in Soho, this week told the West End Extra 
Fr Gilmore had been “a good minister” who had helped the sick and had gone shopping for housebound pensioners. She said: “The parish does not deserve this. It’s very sad.”

Fr Gilmore caused controversy last year when he evicted amenity group the Soho Society from its base in the tower of the church. An application to convert this part of the church for use as a health clinic was made in Fr Gilmore’s name.

A former mental health worker who is openly gay, he extended the church’s opening hours to make it more inclusive and in 2009 supported a group of prostitutes campaigning for safer working conditions.

Dr Jacob, who officiated at services over Christmas, told the West End Extra: “We are providing this parish with all the support it needs.”

A spokesman for the Diocese of London said “The Diocese is provid­ing David Gilmore with pastoral and spiritual support following his dismissal and has made arrangements to ensure he has accommodation and financial security in the short term. 

“The Archdeacon of Charing Cross has been conducting services at St Anne’s Soho over the Christmas period and will ensure that experienced priests are available to take services and give guidance to St Anne’s until a new rector is appointed.”

The West End Extra emailed and telephoned Fr Gilmore but received no reply.