Paedophile former Catholic priest jailed for 11 years

Dennis Finbow, 77, was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court

A former Catholic priest has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for 15 counts of indecent assault on two males and three females, most of whom were under the age of 16 at the time of the offences.

In July, Dennis Finbow, 77, who is already serving a prison sentence for abusing a girl while working in Peterborough, admitted to further child abuse offences between 1975 and 1992.

At Cambridge Crown Court on Friday, Judge Philip Grey commended the victims for their courage in coming forward.

Sentencing Finbow, formerly of Martlesham, near Ipswich, the judge said: "You were a manipulative and predatory paedophile who made use of a climate of excessive trust and deference."

Finbow was jailed for six and a half years in March 2023 for touching a girl while she was in bed in the 1980s.

The court was then told that when he was voluntarily interviewed, he described the allegations "as nonsense and a fabrication".

In an impact statement read to the court, the victim said Finbow was a cigar-smoking "larger-than-life" character who had a "secret life" as a paedophile.

The Diocese of East Anglia said Finbow, who had also served in St Neots in Cambridgeshire, had retired and not been in active ministry since 2001.

He has since been stripped of his clerical status.

Bishop Peter Collins said: "I wish to reiterate our willingness to listen to and support anyone affected by abuse and all victims of child sexual abuse are in my prayers.

"We would encourage any victim of child sexual abuse perpetrated within the Catholic Church context to make contact either directly through our safeguarding office or with Safe Spaces, our victim support service.

"Today's sentencing confirms the validity of previous convictions and of the decision to remove Dennis Finbow from clerical office."

A 16th count of indecent assault was left to lie on file.