Edward Phillips-Smith

Edward Phillips-Smith, a 74-year-old retired priest, was sentenced to 32 months in prison in January 2024 for historical child sex offences committed during his tenure as a school chaplain in the 1980s. He had pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault on a male and two counts of indecency with a child, relating to incidents at his home in Brewood, Staffordshire, where he exploited his position at St Peter's Collegiate School in Wolverhampton to groom and abuse young pupils.

Court proceedings revealed that Phillips-Smith, known to pupils as Father Eddie, used his role to gain the trust of children, grooming them in a locked schoolroom and employing intimidation tactics. One victim, in a statement read to the court, described his actions as 'selfish, exploitative' and 'perverted'. The offences occurred between 1982 and 1983, involving a boy under the age of 14. Phillips-Smith was released on licence in May 2024 after serving part of his sentence.

Earlier in November 2024, at Cannock Magistrates' Court, Phillips-Smith admitted additional charges of indecent assault on a boy under 14 and inciting the boy to commit an act of gross indecency, again relating to incidents in Brewood, Staffordshire, in 1982-1983. He is scheduled to be sentenced on 9 January 2025 for these further crimes. The BBC understands that these admissions followed his previous conviction and highlight a pattern of abuse during his time in Staffordshire.

Separately, Thames Valley Police has reopened an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Phillips-Smith during his employment as chaplain at Papplewick prep school in Ascot, Berkshire, from 1993 to 2008. The probe was initiated after new information emerged in relation to a March 2024 report from a former pupil describing an incident of a teacher tickling a pupil. An internal school review had previously identified concerns about his behaviour, though it did not initially meet the threshold for criminal investigation. The school's chair of governors, Andrew Try, stated on the school website that the governing board welcomes the police inquiries and encourages anyone with concerns to come forward. Phillips-Smith also worked at other institutions, including Edgarley Hall in Somerset from 1989 to 1992, but no complaints were recorded there according to the Diocese of Bath and Wells.

The Diocese of Oxford, which covers Berkshire, became aware of Phillips-Smith during a review of historic cases and passed relevant information from his Wolverhampton period to police. Following his convictions, Phillips-Smith resides in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex. Sources including Essex Police, Thames Valley Police, and court records from Staffordshire confirm the details of his admissions and sentences.