London Organist Admitted to Molesting a 17-Year-Old Music Student Following Intoxication with Gin and Wine in Historic Church
Music maestro Paul Stubbings, 55, walked away from a suspended two-year prison sentence and 300 hours of community service after pleading guilty to a 1999 sexual assault charge involving a 17-year-old music student.
Known for his prowess as an organist, performing worldwide recitals, and his role as Master of Music at St Martin-in-the-Fields, a famed church in London's Trafalgar Square, Stubbings regularly extended invitations to the ambitious and enthusiastic young musician. The invitation often included alcohol, making the teenage victim's home feel like a safe haven forLike-minded individuals.
On the night of the offense, Stubbings' partner was absent, leaving the apartment to the two of them. After consuming several gin and tonics and plenty of red wine, Stubbings entered the spare room where the teenager was sleeping and molested him.
The court heard that the victim, who went on to study at Oxford University, declined future invitations to Stubbings' apartment and reported the attack to the clergy at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Although Stubbings was faced with resignation or dismissal, the victim's refusal to support a prosecution meant the complaint went no further.
The incident led to a deterioration in the victim's relationship with his parents, feelings of guilt, strained A-levels, and a three-month stress-related illness. The victim also faced malicious rumors within the organist community, damaging his career in music.
Stubbings, currently residing with his mother in North Yorkshire and claiming benefits, lost his most recent role as a sessional academic due to his admission of guilt.
Findings from the pre-sentence report suggest that Stubbings poses a low risk of serious offending or causing personal harm, and his lawyer, Jennifer Dannhauser, presented the attack as an isolated incident that occurred 25 years ago. The victim, now in his early 40s, attended the hearing to encourage potential victims to come forward.
During the sentencing, Judge Christopher Hehir expressed sympathy for the victim's arduous journey and urged Stubbings to recognize the damage he had inflicted.
- The general-news outlets reported that music maestro Paul Stubbings, known for his worldwide recitals, was facing sentencing after pleading guilty to a sexual assault charge from 1999 involving a young music student.
- In Southwark court, it was revealed that Stubbings, the Master of Music at St Martin-in-the-Fields, had offered health-and-wellness workshops alongside his organ performances, but this incident has tarnished his reputation in the health-and-wellness and music communities.
- Crime-and-justice reports stated that Stubbings, who had originally faced a suspended two-year prison sentence and 300 hours of community service, instead walked away with a caution after the victim declined to support a prosecution.
- Science today reported on a study exploring the long-term impact of childhood sexual trauma, citing Stubbings' case as a tragic example of the damage such events can cause to an individual's physiological and psychological health.
- In a heartbreaking turn of events, the sexual-health advocate Paul Stubbings, who had always been passionate about educating others about their bodies and relationships, now finds himself at the center of a scandal that has questions being raised about his moral character and his appropriateness as a mentor.
