Victims of Wolverhampton abuser priest ‘deserve more justice’

The Times reported in July 1987 Phillips-Smith was moving from St Peter’s Collegiate School to be vicar at St Peter’s church in Broadwater, Stevenage.

After that, he worked for a spell at Edgarley Hall School in Somerset, which is now Millfield Preparatory School.

In 2008, the Lichfield Diocese received a report of an allegation made against Phillips-Smith relating to his time in Wolverhampton.

The Oxford Diocese, where Phillips-Smith worked between 1993 and 2008 at Papplewick School, investigated alongside police, but no further action was taken.

Oxford Diocese previously told the BBC it became aware of him during a past cases review, which took place in all Church of England dioceses between 2019 and 2022 following concerns about sexual offences against children.

The information gathered in Oxford was shared with Lichfield Diocese and Staffordshire Police.

In a statement on Monday, Lichfield Diocese said it had co-operated with police on recent investigations and it was pleased he had been brought to justice.

“It is deeply sorrowful and shameful that a priest who is in a position of trust should have committed such offences… the harm he caused to pupils was reprehensible,” a spokesman said.

Papplewick School updated its website with a statement from governing board chairman Andrew Try, external, who said his thoughts were with victims of the “appalling crimes”.

A review of Phillips-Smith’s time at the school was completed following his first conviction, Try wrote, and the results shared with police.

The review confirmed that, “while concerns about his behaviour were raised during his employment, no evidence met the threshold for criminal investigation”.

“We are acutely aware that this fact does not rule out the possibility that harm may have occurred at Papplewick and this is a matter of deep regret,” he said.

“We are profoundly sorry that anyone may have been affected by Mr Phillips‑Smith’s behaviour during his time at the school.”

Thames Valley Police has confirmed to the BBC that it received a report from a former pupil of inappropriate behaviour but the threshold for investigation had not been met.