Blackpool man who fell victim to pervert Preston and Chorley vicar Neil Gray tells him: " What you did to me destroyed my childhood."

The second victim of paedophile vicar Neil Gray read a highly emotional statement to him, moments before he was jailed for four years for abusing two boys.
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Victim silhouette

Gray's second victim said the vicar left him believing "God was in his room", adding: "It really scared me".

There were audible sobs from the gallery as he took the unusual step of bravely addressing his abuser by reading his harrowing statement in person.

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Gray jailed for four years
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He said: "In the late 70s I found out in an argument I was adopted. This caused me a great deal of upset and distress.

"Around this time my parents met Neil Gray from church. He became the adult I thought I could trust and turn to.

"I would stay at the Vicarage. He'd take me out for meals, give me wine. As a child this made me feel special.

"He had total control of me.

"The abuse has had a massive impact on my life. I rebelled at home and school and began taking drugs and alcohol to block out the abuse."

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He said he was made homeless at 16, and slept in a park across the road from his parent's home after they "disowned" him.

He turned to gambling and even made three attempts to take his own life to "block out all the hurt and disgust I felt".

He said: " I attempted suicide on three occasions because I could no longer cope. I never told anyone who would believe me - not until I met my wife.

"I now have two beautiful daughters and six beautiful granddaughters. I tried to rebuild my relationship with my parents - but they never believed me. I never got my parents' love back ever.

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"I found out my mother died two years after her death - because of what happened I was discarded from the family.

"My father didn't believe what had happened to me. When I last went to see him yet again I found he had passed away three months earlier.

"What happened to me was not my fault."

He looked directly at the vicar as he added: " What you did to me destroyed my childhood. I lost my family and I never got back that relationship of love - you destroyed my life.

"I lost all trust in adult people, I had no self worth, I loathed myself, I blamed myself.

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"Ultimately it took a toll on my health and in 2011 I had a serious heart attack brought on by my lifestyle - because of what you did.

"You changed the course of my life. If it wasn't for the love of my wife I probably would be dead by now.

"Even now at 50 I can still not sleep alone, I have to have the landing light and TV on every night.

"My life could have been so different if you had never met my parents.

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"You will never suffer as I have but I hope today we both get justice for what you put us through. I only hope and pray you haven't destroyed anyone else's life.

"I am angry, numb and tired and I just want an end to this now."