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Paedophile Priest's Sentencing Adjourned Due to Cancer
5 Feb
Summary
- Sentencing paused due to the accused's significant, life-limiting cancer diagnosis.
- Phillips-Smith admitted to child abuse in the 1970s and 80s across two dioceses.
- A new sentencing date is set for April 10, pending medical and probation reports.
The sentencing of Edward Phillips-Smith, aged 75, for child abuse committed in the 1970s and 1980s has been adjourned. This development occurred after it was revealed that Phillips-Smith has been diagnosed with a life-limiting cancer. He had previously admitted to abusing boys while working as a priest in the Lichfield Diocese and as a chaplain at a school in Wolverhampton.
During a hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Judge Lockhart noted the accused's condition as "very significant and life-limiting." Phillips-Smith entered guilty pleas to several counts of abuse spanning from 1978 to 1983, following investigations in Staffordshire and Wolverhampton. He also pleaded guilty in November to indecent assault and inciting gross indecency.
His condition has left him "barely able to leave his house" in Colchester, according to his barrister. Treatment has not yet begun due to potential conflicts with court dates. The judge has requested a prognosis from a medical practitioner and remanded Phillips-Smith on conditional bail.
Phillips-Smith, ordained in 1974, previously worked at St Peter's Collegiate Academy in Wolverhampton. He was jailed in January 2024 for 32 months for additional offences and released on licence in May of the previous year. Investigations also revealed employment at schools in Somerset and Berkshire.
