Christopher Brain convicted of rape and four sexual assaults

Christopher Brain, former leader of the Nine O’Clock Service, was found guilty of one count of rape and four counts of sexual assault by a jury at Inner London Crown Court on Friday.

The Nine O’Clock Service was created by Brain in the mid‑1980s at St Thomas’s Church in the Crookes area of Sheffield before moving to the city centre. At its height the group attracted university students and young adults, numbering around 500 members.

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Earlier in the year a separate jury returned 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women. The new verdict adds a rape charge and four further sexual assault counts, raising the overall tally to 22 offences involving 13 women.

Evidence presented at the trial described how Brain isolated women, controlled their finances and pressured them to compete for his attention. Witnesses said he surrounded himself with women in revealing clothing and used intimidation to keep them compliant.

During the 1990s Brain was ordained as a priest in the Church of England. Court records note he requested expensive robes, including a set previously worn by actor Robert De Niro in the film The Mission, reflecting a grandiose self‑image.

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Prosecutor Tim Clark KC told the court that the Nine O’Clock Service presented itself publicly as a progressive community project, but in reality functioned as a closed group dominated by Brain.

The trial also highlighted the group’s distinctive worship style, with services held at 9 pm on Sundays, live music and nightclub‑style lighting, and a “homebase team” of women known colloquially as the Lycra Nuns who cared for Brain’s needs.

Judge Freya Newbury said victims would be permitted to deliver impact statements at a sentencing hearing that is likely to span two days. Julie Moss, senior crown prosecutor for CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, said Brain employed a “culture of fear” to manipulate his followers.

Julie Moss praised the courage of the women who testified, describing their testimony as essential to securing the convictions.

Brain will be remanded in custody until sentencing, which the court has not yet scheduled. Victims can submit written statements before the hearing and may also appear in person to describe the harm they suffered.

Key figures and statements

"Brain used a culture of fear to manipulate his followers"

Julie Moss, senior crown prosecutor, CPS Yorkshire and Humberside