Priest lost faith in police for ‘failure to investigate’
APARISH priest was violently attacked by four men after he asked them to turn down the music in the church hall – but says the police never properly investigated the attack.
Father Colin Mason, 60, has released pictures of himself covered in blood and bruises and with a fractured eye socket after the brutal assault on church grounds.
He said on the night of the attack the church hall had been rented for a party which was due to end at 10pm.
But when loud music could still be heard more than an hour later he went to the hall to ask them to end the party.
He was then attacked by four men ‘in their 30s’ who left him lying in the grass, covered in blood and fled the scene.
Father Mason said he heard nothing from Avon and Somerset Police in response to the crime for three weeks – who then closed the case.
He said he had “lost faith in police” when they failed to investigate the violent assault against him.
Father Mason, of Sacred Heart Church in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, was attacked on August 20.
He said: “It’s quite incredible to say but the police actually did nothing, it’s difficult to believe it but they really did nothing whatsoever.
“After the incident, the initial response was great, they came dead quick – really quickly, and they were very helpful to me as they came and found me sitting covered in blood in a complete mess. Then I discovered in the next few days they were not doing anything in particular.
“They hadn’t followed up with my hall booking manager, who had the details of the people who booked the hall for the party.
“After three weeks I realised they really hadn’t done anything at all.
“So I emailed them and they immediately got back to me with a crime reference number.
“Three days later, I got an email to say they had closed the case – and I thought ‘hang on, you can’t close the case when you haven’t done anything’.’’
Father Mason wrote an official letter of complaint, which was later acknowledged by police who said it was reviewing its service.
On Monday he said police informed him they had reopened his case.
He said: “I live on my own, as do most priests, and you have to meet loads of people every day, so you do have to put yourself out there and it does leave you quite open.
“So not knowing the police are there for you was initially a big disappointment. I’m just glad something is being done now.
“The police rang me to inform me that they have reopened the case, which of course is exactly what I wanted. They basically said that I was right and the case needed to be reopened.
“They sounded very positive and were already talking about some of the lines of enquiry they wanted to follow to get things going.
“In that sense, I’m quite happy there’s been some positive news. Up until today I was obviously not happy, because it erodes your confidence in the police”.
A police spokesman said: “Avon and Somerset Police received a formal complaint about this incident on October 13.
“The complaint has been assessed and formally recorded by our Professional Standards Department.
“It has been allocated to the area patrol inspector, who is reviewing the service provided.
“We cannot comment further until that review has been concluded and the complainant updated.”
It’s quite incredible to say but the police actually did nothing, it’s difficult to believe it but they really did nothing whatsoever FATHER MASON, OF SACRED HEART CHURCH