Murder quiz vicar ‘hates to see births out of wedlock’
A VICAR arrested with his daughter on suspicion of murdering her baby boy was so religious he would be mortified by any pregnancy ‘out of wedlock’, relatives said yesterday. But they added that they ‘can’t see him as a murderer’.
Reverend Jim Percival and his daughter Ruth, 28, have been questioned for a second day over the death of the newborn, whose body was found at their £400,000 vicarage last week.
Police were called on Tuesday after reports that Miss Percival had given birth to a stillborn baby.
But senior officers later declared his death to be suspicious. The vicar, his daughter and his wife Susan, 65, are also suspected of conspiracy to conceal the birth of a child.
Last night it emerged that even regular members of Rev Percival’s congregation in the village of Freckleton, Lancashire, were unaware his daughter - described locally as a ‘large lady’ – was pregnant.
And family members said he would take a dim view of illegitimate pregnancies because of his religious beliefs. Peter Simpson, the ex-husband of Mrs Percival’s sister Wendy, said: ‘They are very religious. Because it was out of wedlock, they may think it sinful.’
He added: ‘I can’t see him as a murderer. He was very placid.’
Mr Simpson, 61, said: ‘Jim and Susan were not in contact with any of the family. I haven’t seen them in at least 20 years. We sometimes bumped into them in the town centre but I haven’t seen Ruth since she was a child.’
Police sources say Rev Percival, 64, and his wife told them they had no idea their daughter was pregnant and were shocked and angry to find out she had given birth.
But the couple insist the baby – thought to have been born in the bathroom – was dead when they reached him. An ambulance was called and their daughter was taken to hospital.
They are believed to have told investigating officers the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck, adding that their daughter must have kept quiet about being pregnant because she knew they would be mortified. Detectives are investigating whether Miss Percival confided in anyone in the village about the pregnancy and whether she hid it by wearing baggy clothing.
Prayers were said for the family yesterday morning at Holy Trinity Church where Rev Percival had worked for 11 years.
Stand-in vicar Rev Terry Scholz said it would be wrong to ‘jump to conclusions’. He added: ‘The (congregation) are all nice people and, like any family going through difficult times, they will pull together.’
One 87-year-old parishioner said: ‘It’s very, very sad. I sat behind Ruth every week at church and never realised she was pregnant.
‘Personally I think (the vicar) is excellent, pastorally he was great. He would regularly visit the sick and infirm. He was a nice man.’
Yesterday police said they were trying to identify the baby’s father, while forensic teams continued to search the vicarage. Police are also thought to be examining Mr Percival’s computer.
Lancashire Constabulary said a post-mortem examination had proved inconclusive and further tests were being carried out. Police were yesterday granted another 30 hours to question the trio.
Miss Percival is an office cleaner who is also believed to have worked as a dinner lady. Her father grew up in Putney, south-west London, and worked as a carpenter and joiner before training as a clergyman after an ‘overnight’ conversion aged 30.
A spokesman for the Diocese of Blackburn said: ‘ We have been liaising closely with Lancashire Police and are offering pastoral support to the church and the local community.’