MAN AWARDS £635,000 DAMAGES AFTER ABUSE BY CATHOLIC PRIEST CHRISTOPHER CLONAN IN COVENTRY

A man emotionally scarred after enduring sexual abuse by a Catholic priest for 11 years as a boy was awarded £635,000 in damages yesterday. This significant payout, the largest of its kind, signals that the Church could face additional multi-million-pound claims from other victims.

The victim, known only as 'A', now 35 years old, was abused from the age of seven until he was 18 by Father Christopher Clonan, the priest serving his family at Christ The King Church in Coventry. For the past five years, 'A' has resided in a mental health facility where he receives treatment for schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder. He was detained under section after behaving violently and attempting a drug overdose.

Delivering his judgment at the High Court in Manchester, Mr Justice Christopher Clarke stated, "The abuse was regular — between one and three times a week — and progressive. It began with Father Clonan putting his hands in 'A's pockets and fondling him." He added, "By the time 'A' was 12 or 13, he was subjected to serious sexual assaults."

The judge explained that the abuse remained hidden for so long because 'A' did not realize anything was wrong until he was 22, at which point his life "fell apart." Clonan was the local priest at Christ The King Church in Coventry at the time.

The compensation was awarded against the Archbishop of Birmingham and the trustees of the Birmingham Archdiocese. Last year, another victim, Simon Grey, a former altar boy also abused by Clonan, was awarded £330,000.

Lawyers representing 'A' and Grey revealed that they are now representing eight additional victims of Clonan, who fled to Australia, where he has since died. A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Birmingham expressed their regret, stating, "The Archdiocese deeply regrets that a priest should have totally misused his position of trust in such a way."