Coston Lodge Near Melton Mowbray Father Michael Ingram
Leicester Mercury
August 15, 2000
News: 999
SECTION: News: 999, Pg.4
LENGTH: 541 words
A victim of paedophile Father Michael Ingram today told how the priest robbed him of his childhood.
The disgraced former Roman Catholic priest was yesterday convicted of sexual offences involving six boys.
Sex abuse took place between 1970 and 1978 while Ingram was priest at the Holy Cross Priory Church in Leicester. Boys were subjected to sex ordeals on a camping trip organised by the church to the Isle of Wight and weekend trips to a farmhouse n Coston Lodge n near Melton, supervised by Ingram.
In an exclusive interview, one of the victims, a former Leicester altar boy, has told the Mercury of the devastating effects of the abuse and how Ingram’s abuse had robbed him of his childhood.
Difficult
The Leicester-born victim was just 10 when the abuse began.
Talking to anyone about it, not least the Mercury, is incredibly difficult for him. Off-limits subjects include the abuse and his feelings on seeing Ingram across Leicester Crown Court as he gave evidence against him.
In order to cope with what was happening to him, he blocked out all his early memories.
And it was only when contacted by police investigating Ingram in 1998 that the horrific memories came flooding back.
“I spent 20 years of my life not knowing who I was,” he said. “I blocked out my childhood and I think that’s one of the most serious crimes he committed against me.
“When you block out bad memories, you also block out the good ones. I always found it strange that other people would remember their childhood.”
The victim said: “He used a ranking system. He would create an atmosphere of competition among the children. Then once he had ensnared them he would move on to the abuse. I was his special boy.”
He was abused at Coston Lodge, a farmhouse converted into a holiday home for deprived children by Ingram, and during a trip to the Isle of Wight.
“He whipped up enthusiasm in church around the Coston Lodge project.
”A lot of very well-intentioned people put an enormous amount of energy into the project. I think those at Coston Lodge are victims as well. Michael Ingram was an enigmatic man, a classic sociopath. They were not to know.”
He believes Ingram was not working alone and was a member of a paedophile network.
“There were other men who, to my knowledge had no connection with the congregation, come out and stay (at Coston Lodge) for a night.
”I have no doubt it was a base for paedophile activity.”
Since being contacted by police, he has been supported by family and friends.
He said: “I am maintaining anonymity because I didn’t want to be hounded by the tabloids. I don’t want anybody to think I have anything to be ashamed of.
“If anything, I have something to be proud of, in having gone through with the court case, secured the conviction and protected children in the future.”
Ingram was today under police guard in hospital after being found guilty of the offences.
He was not in court to hear the verdicts because he was receiving treatment for ankle and knee fractures sustained in a car crash on Sunday.
Judge Richard Benson told the Leicester Crown Court jury the defendant’s car was seen to increase speed as it crossed a road and hit a wall.
Sentencing will take place at a later date.
After the Kirkwood Report was published in February 1993 into the management of children homes and Frank Beck’s child abuse, Leicestershire Council gave their response. http://cathyfox.wordpress.com/2014/03/05/leicestershire-county-council-response-to-kirkwood-report-about-frank-beck-abuse/ . Primarily the childrens homes involved with Beck were Ratcliffe Road, Leicester; The Poplars, Market Harborough; The Beeches, Leicester Forest East; and Rosehill
others mentioned, Market Harborough Polebrook House, The Woodlands, The Holt, Netherall Road, Dunblane Avenue, Westcotes Drive, Glen Parva
Glenfrith Hall, Glenfield Leics http://jailhouselawyersblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/i-was-not-nonced-by-lord-macalpine-or.html
Edmund Clements and other probables at Nevill Holt Prep School, Market Harborough, http://liberalengland.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/nevill-holt-prep-school-stranger-than.html and
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Teacher%27s+catalogue+of+sex+crimes+on+prep+boys.-a060776236
More on Nevill Holt Preparatory School here: https://nevillholt.wordpress.com/
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Pingback: Child Abuse in Leicestershire working document – Frank Beck | cathyfox blog
Coston Lodge Near Melton Mowbray Father Michael Ingram
Leicester Mercury
August 15, 2000
News: 999
SECTION: News: 999, Pg.4
LENGTH: 541 words
A victim of paedophile Father Michael Ingram today told how the priest robbed him of his childhood.
The disgraced former Roman Catholic priest was yesterday convicted of sexual offences involving six boys.
Sex abuse took place between 1970 and 1978 while Ingram was priest at the Holy Cross Priory Church in Leicester. Boys were subjected to sex ordeals on a camping trip organised by the church to the Isle of Wight and weekend trips to a farmhouse n Coston Lodge n near Melton, supervised by Ingram.
In an exclusive interview, one of the victims, a former Leicester altar boy, has told the Mercury of the devastating effects of the abuse and how Ingram’s abuse had robbed him of his childhood.
Difficult
The Leicester-born victim was just 10 when the abuse began.
Talking to anyone about it, not least the Mercury, is incredibly difficult for him. Off-limits subjects include the abuse and his feelings on seeing Ingram across Leicester Crown Court as he gave evidence against him.
In order to cope with what was happening to him, he blocked out all his early memories.
And it was only when contacted by police investigating Ingram in 1998 that the horrific memories came flooding back.
“I spent 20 years of my life not knowing who I was,” he said. “I blocked out my childhood and I think that’s one of the most serious crimes he committed against me.
“When you block out bad memories, you also block out the good ones. I always found it strange that other people would remember their childhood.”
The victim said: “He used a ranking system. He would create an atmosphere of competition among the children. Then once he had ensnared them he would move on to the abuse. I was his special boy.”
He was abused at Coston Lodge, a farmhouse converted into a holiday home for deprived children by Ingram, and during a trip to the Isle of Wight.
“He whipped up enthusiasm in church around the Coston Lodge project.
”A lot of very well-intentioned people put an enormous amount of energy into the project. I think those at Coston Lodge are victims as well. Michael Ingram was an enigmatic man, a classic sociopath. They were not to know.”
He believes Ingram was not working alone and was a member of a paedophile network.
“There were other men who, to my knowledge had no connection with the congregation, come out and stay (at Coston Lodge) for a night.
”I have no doubt it was a base for paedophile activity.”
Since being contacted by police, he has been supported by family and friends.
He said: “I am maintaining anonymity because I didn’t want to be hounded by the tabloids. I don’t want anybody to think I have anything to be ashamed of.
“If anything, I have something to be proud of, in having gone through with the court case, secured the conviction and protected children in the future.”
Ingram was today under police guard in hospital after being found guilty of the offences.
He was not in court to hear the verdicts because he was receiving treatment for ankle and knee fractures sustained in a car crash on Sunday.
Judge Richard Benson told the Leicester Crown Court jury the defendant’s car was seen to increase speed as it crossed a road and hit a wall.
Sentencing will take place at a later date.
After the Kirkwood Report was published in February 1993 into the management of children homes and Frank Beck’s child abuse, Leicestershire Council gave their response. http://cathyfox.wordpress.com/2014/03/05/leicestershire-county-council-response-to-kirkwood-report-about-frank-beck-abuse/ . Primarily the childrens homes involved with Beck were Ratcliffe Road, Leicester; The Poplars, Market Harborough; The Beeches, Leicester Forest East; and Rosehill
others mentioned, Market Harborough Polebrook House, The Woodlands, The Holt, Netherall Road, Dunblane Avenue, Westcotes Drive, Glen Parva
Pingback: Leicestershire County Council Response to Kirkwood Report about Frank Beck abuse | cathyfox
Grace Dieu Manor Prep School, Thringstone, Leicestershire.
http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Ex-pupils-legal-bid-years-abuse/story-12807487-detail/story.html#axzz2MsN6cUSU
http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Church-order-apologises-victims-child-abuse/story-12820141-detail/story.html#axzz2MsN6cUSU
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2011/06/22/the-men-abused-by-rosminians-deserve-compensation/
Grace Dieu Preparatory School, Leicestershire.
http://www.uppaltaylor.com/news.asp?act=v&id=89