Chris Brain denies brainwashing members to satisfy sexual desires

A former priest who led a rave-inspired church group has told a court he had massages from women in his congregation which would “very rarely” lead to sexual contact.

Prosecutors say Chris Brain, 68, abused his position as the head of the “cult-like” Nine O’Clock Service (NOS) – named because services were held at 9pm on Sundays – in the 1980s and 1990s to sexually assault a “staggering number of women”.

Inner London Crown Court has heard the services in Sheffield, which were aimed at 18 to 30-year-olds and shaped by club culture, featuring multimedia, scantily dressed women and a live band, attracted up to 600 people at their peak.

Jurors have been told Brain’s Church of England ordination was “fast tracked” in 1991, and he wore the same cassock worn by actor Robert De Niro in the movie “The Mission” at the ceremony.

Prosecutors say a “homebase” team of “attractive women”, wearing lingerie or other revealing clothing, known as “the Lycra Lovelies” or “the Lycra Nuns”, was set up to look after Brain, his wife and his daughter at their home.

Brain from Wilmslow, in Cheshire, is standing trial accused of committing sexual offences against 13 women. He denies one count of rape and 36 counts of indecent assault between 1981 and 1995.

Giving evidence for the first time on Monday, he said he borrowed Robert De Niro’s cassock from the film studio because NOS “loathed” the traditional church clothing and denied wearing it because he was “an egomaniac” who wanted to “demonstrate power and control”.

He said the clothes worn by his homebase team were “completely normal” for that era, comparing outfits to those worn by Soul II Soul, although Judge Freya Newbery pointed out the British pop group didn’t dress like that to do a “cleaning job”.

Brain admitted receiving back massages from some NOS members, which he said started as a way to relieve tension headaches, and asked why he did that when he had a wife and child, he replied: “Why not?”

When asked by his barrister, Iain Simkin KC, if the massages ever led to sexual activity, he said: “Very rarely, with very close friends it might edge towards that but both parties knew it shouldn’t go there so one of us would pull back and cool down.”

Brain added: “With some of my closest friends it would be kissing sometimes, occasionally massaging, stroking. Anything more than that we would back off.”

He told the jury any touching was done with “100%” consent and he would’ve “instantly stopped” if anyone had indicated they were uncomfortable.

Brain admitted his leadership style was at times “overly direct” but denied dressing members down in public, humiliating them, or making them feel small as a method of control.

His barrister Iain Simkin KC asked: “Did you exert undue pressure on any member of NOS?”

“No,” Brain replied.

Mr Simkin continued? “Did you bring people close and ostracise them as a method of control?

“Did you brainwash them?

“Did you turn them into robots in order to allow you to manipulate them for your own sexual desires?”

Brain answered “no” to all of the questions.

The court has heard some members contributed large sums of money or gave up their inheritances or homes to NOS.

But Brain denied “fleecing people” for his own “extravagant lifestyle”, saying he did not dress in “designer gear” and wasn’t motivated by money.

He told the jury members worked ordinary jobs and were free to leave if they wanted.

The court has heard Brain resigned from holy orders after allegations first emerged in the mid-1990s.

The trial continues.