Tiny church now at centre of William Tyrrell inquiries

Links between Herons Creek church and well-known local pedophile revealed in evidence at inquest into missing foster child.

Missing boy William Tyrrell. Picture: AAP

The pastor of a tiny church on the mid-north coast of NSW has admitted that he has “difficulties” accepting that one of his flock, who is now a suspect in the disappearance of William Tyrrell, could have committed sex crimes against children.

Retired Baptist minister, Martin Parish, who owns the historic church at Herons Creek, about eight kilometres from where William was last seen alive, told the coronial inquiry into William’s disappearance on Monday that he knew that one of his parishioners, Mr Frank Abbott, 79, had been found guilty in 2017 of repeatedly molesting two small boys and a little girl, but he had been assured that there were “mitigating circumstances.”

Mr Parish agreed that he’d known Mr Abbott, 79, for years, and that he had supported him when he was some charged with twenty sex offences against the local children.

He attended the trial and he still visits Mr Abbott in jail, he said, adding that he has lately been helping Mr Abbott with “issues” raised by the police investigation into William’s disappearance.

“Police have told me he is a suspect,” he said.

He agreed that Mr Abbott, who is watching the inquest for a cell at the Cessnock jail, had been convicted by a jury at his trial. The counsel assisting the inquiry, Mr Gerard Craddock, asked the pastor: “Did you accept the jury verdicts?”

“I would say that he was convicted, and he hasn’t been afforded the chance to appeal,” Pastor Parish replied.

Mr Craddock tried again, saying: “Did you accept those jury verdicts as properly reflecting guilt on his part?”

“Hmm. He certainly had been convicted (but) I had difficulties,” he replied.

The coroner, Ms Harriet Grahame, then interjected, saying: “You don’t accept it?”

“I respect verdicts,” Mr Parish said, but added: “I believe that everyone has a right of appeal, and once that right of appeal is done, that is verdict.”

Mr Abbott wanted to appeal his conviction but hasn’t been able to raise the funds.

Mr Parish added: “I have spoken to Frank, and Frank has said to me, there are mitigating circumstances.”

“Mitigating circumstances?” said Mr Craddock.

“Yes.”

“Did he use that term?”

“He was saying there were facts that needed to be re-questioned, as in dates, and places.”

Mr Abbott has previously been acquitted of the murder of a seventeen-year-old girl. He has also been acquitted of a sex crime against an eight-year-old girl. He has been accused during this inquest of bestiality with two local dogs, and petty theft.

He was living in an old caravan at Herons Creek when William went missing and has denied wrongdoing.

Mr Parish told the court he didn’t know where Mr Abbott was on the day of William’s disappearance.

“Only from the questions I’ve asked Frank,” he said. “Personally, I do not know.”

He agreed that Mr Abbott had some years ago received “a considerable prison sentence” for the sexual assault of children, and that he had “maintained telephone contact with him, on a weekly basis” in prison.

“I don’t ring him, but he has the right,” Mr Parish said, adding: “I probably visited him only about every three months.

“Do you say this has been purely in a pastoral, or part friendship?” Mr Craddock asked.

“As a pastor, you do build friendships up,” Mr Parish replied.

He agreed that Mr Abbott had asked him to try to clear up some “issues” raised by police, as part of the Tyrrell investigation.

“As a pastor, I care for needs,” he said. “Jesus talked about protecting your flock … to me that’s advocating. Trying to assist where I can.”

Mr Parish agreed that he had helped Mr Abbott find somewhere to live after he was acquitted on of the sex offence against the eight-year-old girl.

He agreed that had had become aware during one of Mr Abbott’s trials of the extent of Mr Abbott’s criminal record, “the case happened in Taree, and another case that had happened after that.”

He was also aware of gossip that Mr Abbott had “got off” on a murder charge but dismissed it because “he’d been acquitted.”

He maintained contact with him, saying: “If it was a wet day, I’d pick him up, he had to do self-reporting (whilst he was on bail) things like that.”

He said he hadn’t asked Mr Abbott whether he’d taken William, adding: “If he was to say to me that he wants to talk about something confidential, I’d have to say stop … I’d have to say, this is reportable, a criminal offence” and rather than listen, he would try to stop him from making a confession.

“But we haven’t had those conversations,” he added.

Mr Parish told the court he had purchased the St Mary’s the Virgin Church on Blackbutt Road in 2007.

It had been decommissioned by the Anglicans, and he felt passionate about restoring it for community use.

He moved to Herons Creek for the duration of the project, taking up residence at a Herons Creek property that has been in his family for generations. The property has an old tram line running through it, the historical purpose of which was to carry turpentine.

There is an old sawmill near there and a log dump, both of which have been searched by cadaver dogs, including last month.

Mr Parish agreed that his brother, Daniel, used Frank as a “hired hand” to help restore the homestead.

The Coroner, Harriet Grahame, asked him: “When did you become friends?”

“I’m actually his pastor,” he replied. “I regard him as one of the sheep, I guess, of the flock that lived in Herons Creek.

“He had a lot of skills,” he said. “Movings logs, Frank was given that job. Digging holes for a fence that never happened.”

The inquest is continuing.