Pastor Vincent Anthony ‘Tony’ Lowe testified yesterday that he only admitted to “touching” a teenager after her mother said if he confessed, the matter would end.
But, said the head of Prayer Palace Ministries, he never sexually assaulted the girl who visited his home for rehearsals and lessons.
In his 80-minute defence testimony to four charges, Lowe said when the teenager visited his home – and she did not need an invitation to do so – rehearsals would take place in the back bedroom which contained musical equipment, computer and a bed and was intended to be a studio for recording. He said the young woman would sing at about four events a year in relation to the church.
He said whenever the complainant was at the house, others were there, either his wife or the complainant’s mother.
Prior to 2013 he did not have any complaints by the young woman whose family he looked out for by dropping off foodstuff at her home but one day he came home to his wife saying the teenager’s mother had said he touched her daughter.
That, Lowe told the court, did not bother him since the complainant would come to him when anyone troubled her at the church. A meeting was called which was attended by him, his wife, his mother-in-law, the virtual complainant and her mother, who repeatedly accused him of touching her child. There was back and forth talking, with him saying he did not touch the teenager.
There was a subsequent meeting called by him as communication became strained as the complainant’s mother was a major part of the church.
At that meeting at the church, the teenager’s mother kept asking him if he touched her daughter to the point where his mother-in-law told her that the “pastor” had said he “ain’t do it” and what more did she want. To this, said Lowe, the complainant’s mother said she wanted him to admit.
Lowe said that while his wife was in the back, the mother of the complainant told him if he said he did it the matter was “done” and he wanted the matter to end. All he knew was that the complainant had said he touched her and he, to end it, said he touched her.
“Once I say I touch her, that was the key to bring us here today. I said it thinking it was the end. I respect . . . word . . . I said yes because I wanted it over and done. She had said if I admit, it is over and I really wanted it over,” Lowe said from the stand.
He said that on March 8, 2013, he went to assist another church colleague with the youth as his vehicle had broken down and he was in a hurry because he had an upcoming radio programme. When he got to the house, the complainant was resistant to get in the vehicle and her mother tossed her shoes in the van and insisted she got in.
They ended up in the Wanstead area where the children got out, except for the complainant who was in the front seat, the accused said.
He never did any of the sexual assaults with which he is charged, he told the court.
Under crossexamination by Senior State Counsel Olivia Davis, who is prosecuting with State Counsel Paul Prescod, Lowe said he had been a pastor for 30 years with a congregation of 175 at one time and had experience dealing with people. He said when his wife spoke to him about the “touching”, she was calm so he was not “rattled” or “bothered”.
He never asked what the virtual complainant’s mother meant by “touch” and she did not give specifics, he said. When he called the second meeting, he was thinking about getting the relationships repaired and not about trying to avoid getting the police involved, Lowe said.
He felt threatened when the mother said the teen’s father and the police would be told but stated he did not indecently assault her.
Lowe said he apologised after the mother kept saying it would end if he admitted he did, adding that he was sorry if he had offended anybody. He denied he was apologising for exactly what he had done, touching the teenager’s breasts and vagina.
The accused said he did not recall telling the police he took the teen’s shoe because he was in a hurry or that she was in the front seat because she wanted to charge her cellphone while at Wanstead.
Lowe said he was trying to recall if the complainant got in the front seat next to him because the other seats were gone. (AC)
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