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| Choir master accused of raping girl admits affair with another pupil | Choir master accused of raping girl admits affair with another pupil |
| (2 months later) | |
| A nationally renowned choir master accused of raping one of his students has admitted a "wonderful" love affair with another pupil at the same school. | A nationally renowned choir master accused of raping one of his students has admitted a "wonderful" love affair with another pupil at the same school. |
| Michael Brewer, 67, who founded the National Youth Choir and was awarded an OBE for services to music, left Chetham's school of music in Manchester when the liaison was discovered almost 20 years ago. Brewer, then 49, was never disciplined and went on to become artistic director of the National Youth Choirs of Britain and has also directed the World Youth Choir. | Michael Brewer, 67, who founded the National Youth Choir and was awarded an OBE for services to music, left Chetham's school of music in Manchester when the liaison was discovered almost 20 years ago. Brewer, then 49, was never disciplined and went on to become artistic director of the National Youth Choirs of Britain and has also directed the World Youth Choir. |
| The woman, whom the media has decided not to name, has already given evidence to Manchester crown court. She left the school at the same time as Brewer, and was called by the prosecution to illustrate what they say was his predilection for teenage girls while working as director of music at Chetham's. | The woman, whom the media has decided not to name, has already given evidence to Manchester crown court. She left the school at the same time as Brewer, and was called by the prosecution to illustrate what they say was his predilection for teenage girls while working as director of music at Chetham's. |
| Brewer is accused of committing eight indecent assaults against a different, underage girl at the school more than 30 years ago and is also said to have raped her when she was 18 in the presence of his ex-wife, Hilary Kay Brewer, 67. His former wife is also on trial, accused of aiding and abetting the rape of the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons. The couple divorced in April 1998 and deny all the allegations. | Brewer is accused of committing eight indecent assaults against a different, underage girl at the school more than 30 years ago and is also said to have raped her when she was 18 in the presence of his ex-wife, Hilary Kay Brewer, 67. His former wife is also on trial, accused of aiding and abetting the rape of the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons. The couple divorced in April 1998 and deny all the allegations. |
| Earlier in the trial, the woman whose affair led to Brewer's resignation (who is not the complainant in the case) described to the jury how the relationship progressed – after she had just turned 17 – from innocent hugs to passionate kisses and then fondling of her breasts in his school office and practice rooms. She recalled an incident where Brewer had allegedly asked her to look at a picture on her office wall, and then put his naked penis in her hand. | Earlier in the trial, the woman whose affair led to Brewer's resignation (who is not the complainant in the case) described to the jury how the relationship progressed – after she had just turned 17 – from innocent hugs to passionate kisses and then fondling of her breasts in his school office and practice rooms. She recalled an incident where Brewer had allegedly asked her to look at a picture on her office wall, and then put his naked penis in her hand. |
| She told the jury she found herself quickly out of depth, and felt she was in love with him but was not ready for full sex. | She told the jury she found herself quickly out of depth, and felt she was in love with him but was not ready for full sex. |
| She did not consider it abuse at the time but felt differently about it now as an adult. | She did not consider it abuse at the time but felt differently about it now as an adult. |
| Giving evidence on Tuesday, Brewer said he was in love with her in the autumn term of 1994. Under cross-examination from the prosecution barrister, Peter Cadwallader, Brewer said of his relationship with the 17-year-old: "It was wonderful," adding that they could talk about "anything – music, literature, the music we were playing". | Giving evidence on Tuesday, Brewer said he was in love with her in the autumn term of 1994. Under cross-examination from the prosecution barrister, Peter Cadwallader, Brewer said of his relationship with the 17-year-old: "It was wonderful," adding that they could talk about "anything – music, literature, the music we were playing". |
| Asked by Cadwallader whether he remember the day he "whipped out his penis", Brewer said: "I don't recall that." | Asked by Cadwallader whether he remember the day he "whipped out his penis", Brewer said: "I don't recall that." |
| But asked whether he was saying the woman had lied about the incident, Brewer said: "No. I'm not. She may have misremembered it. I'm not saying that it didn't happen. I don't recall it." | But asked whether he was saying the woman had lied about the incident, Brewer said: "No. I'm not. She may have misremembered it. I'm not saying that it didn't happen. I don't recall it." |
| He said the pair "had made an arrangement, however naive, just to stick to what teenagers would call 'the top half'". | He said the pair "had made an arrangement, however naive, just to stick to what teenagers would call 'the top half'". |
| The prosecuting barrister later accused Brewer of having a "selective memory" – "The bits you want to remember, you are precise about. The bits you don't want to remember, you 'forget'." | The prosecuting barrister later accused Brewer of having a "selective memory" – "The bits you want to remember, you are precise about. The bits you don't want to remember, you 'forget'." |
| Brewer also objected to a suggestion made by the prosecution that he had asked the young woman to sit on his knee with her top off while he "fondled" her breasts. "I'd hesitate to use the word 'fondle'," said Brewer. "I touched her." This happened three times, he said. | Brewer also objected to a suggestion made by the prosecution that he had asked the young woman to sit on his knee with her top off while he "fondled" her breasts. "I'd hesitate to use the word 'fondle'," said Brewer. "I touched her." This happened three times, he said. |
| The woman had earlier told the court that one day she was naked from the waist up when the school's then headteacher, the Rev Peter Hullah, knocked on the door. | The woman had earlier told the court that one day she was naked from the waist up when the school's then headteacher, the Rev Peter Hullah, knocked on the door. |
| She and Brewer "instantly panicked" and she was "slipped out" of a side door which opened on to the practice rooms corridor, she said. | She and Brewer "instantly panicked" and she was "slipped out" of a side door which opened on to the practice rooms corridor, she said. |
| But Hullah caught sight of her on the corridor and she was later summoned to talk about her relationship with Brewer. | But Hullah caught sight of her on the corridor and she was later summoned to talk about her relationship with Brewer. |
| She told the jury: "Soon after that he was asked to resign from the school because of his relationship with me. He said it was for health reasons and it was all kept quiet, by the school, the real reason for him leaving." | She told the jury: "Soon after that he was asked to resign from the school because of his relationship with me. He said it was for health reasons and it was all kept quiet, by the school, the real reason for him leaving." |
| In court on Tuesday Brewer denied claims made by the woman in evidence that he had told her that "oral sex is good". | In court on Tuesday Brewer denied claims made by the woman in evidence that he had told her that "oral sex is good". |
| Brewer said: "I don't remember that," adding: "I don't like oral sex." | Brewer said: "I don't remember that," adding: "I don't like oral sex." |
| He admitted buying the girl presents, including his-and-hers watches from Argos with their initials engraved on the back. Such gestures, he said, "seem ridiculous, looking back on it". | He admitted buying the girl presents, including his-and-hers watches from Argos with their initials engraved on the back. Such gestures, he said, "seem ridiculous, looking back on it". |
| But he denied propositioning a third girl at the school and allegedly saying to her that she knew "how to be a perfect flirt". The third woman, whom the media are also not naming, has also given evidence against Brewer for the prosecution. | But he denied propositioning a third girl at the school and allegedly saying to her that she knew "how to be a perfect flirt". The third woman, whom the media are also not naming, has also given evidence against Brewer for the prosecution. |
| In evidence on Tuesday, Brewer confirmed that the complainant in the case had stayed with his family in their house in Chorlton, south Manchester, when her behaviour at Chetham's became too disruptive for staff at the school's boarding house to deal with. | In evidence on Tuesday, Brewer confirmed that the complainant in the case had stayed with his family in their house in Chorlton, south Manchester, when her behaviour at Chetham's became too disruptive for staff at the school's boarding house to deal with. |
| But he denied the allegations the complainant had made against him: she had previously told the court that her relationship with Brewer progressed at the age of 14 from hugs in his unlocked school office to kisses, intimate touching and then full sex. | But he denied the allegations the complainant had made against him: she had previously told the court that her relationship with Brewer progressed at the age of 14 from hugs in his unlocked school office to kisses, intimate touching and then full sex. |
| Their trysts would also regularly take place in unlocked practice rooms at Chetham's, in his camper van where she would perform oral sex on him while driving in the streets of the city and on a canal bank in broad daylight, she said. | Their trysts would also regularly take place in unlocked practice rooms at Chetham's, in his camper van where she would perform oral sex on him while driving in the streets of the city and on a canal bank in broad daylight, she said. |
| He also abused her at his family home in Chorlton while his wife and four children were asleep or away from the house, she said. | He also abused her at his family home in Chorlton while his wife and four children were asleep or away from the house, she said. |
| The rape was alleged to have taken place at the Brewer family home in 1981 when she was aged 18. | The rape was alleged to have taken place at the Brewer family home in 1981 when she was aged 18. |
| She has claimed that Mrs Brewer indecently assaulted her before leading her upstairs to the bedroom where she demanded Mr Brewer have sex with the complainant because she "owed her". | She has claimed that Mrs Brewer indecently assaulted her before leading her upstairs to the bedroom where she demanded Mr Brewer have sex with the complainant because she "owed her". |
| The jury was told that her evidence was that they all stayed in the same bed together for the rest of the night before Brewer drove her to the train station the next morning. | The jury was told that her evidence was that they all stayed in the same bed together for the rest of the night before Brewer drove her to the train station the next morning. |
| Kate Blackwell QC, defending Brewer, described the claims as "utter fantasy" and a "pack of lies". | Kate Blackwell QC, defending Brewer, described the claims as "utter fantasy" and a "pack of lies". |
| The complainant replied: "This is why cases don't come to court. This happened." | The complainant replied: "This is why cases don't come to court. This happened." |
| "You spent the night lying next to two of your rapists?" said the barrister. | "You spent the night lying next to two of your rapists?" said the barrister. |
| The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, answered: "But this happened. I felt guilty, I did not know how to get out of it." | The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, answered: "But this happened. I felt guilty, I did not know how to get out of it." |
| "This is a lie," said Blackwell. "You could have left the house at any time." | "This is a lie," said Blackwell. "You could have left the house at any time." |
| The witness replied: "You have got no idea, clearly, about what it is like to be raped. | The witness replied: "You have got no idea, clearly, about what it is like to be raped. |
| "You have clearly no feminine understanding of what someone goes through like that. What shock your body goes through. How you almost feel you deserve it." | "You have clearly no feminine understanding of what someone goes through like that. What shock your body goes through. How you almost feel you deserve it." |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |
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