A cathedral chancellor has denied an allegation of indecently assaulting a student at a party.
Rev Dr Paul Overend, 53, who was appointed canon chancellor at Lincoln Cathedral in 2017, is accused of grabbing the woman and kissing her while he was a chaplain at Cardiff University in 1997.
Overend appeared at Cardiff Crown Court for a short hearing on Thursday where he confirmed his name, address and date of birth, and pleaded not guilty to the charge of indecent assault.
Judge Richard Twomlow told him a trial date had been fixed for June, and released him on unconditional bail.
Overend, from Lincoln, spent seven years as university chaplain in Cardiff before teaching philosophy and ethics at the university and at Liverpool Hope University.
He was given the full-time post of chancellor at Lincoln Cathedral in November 2017, leading the cathedral's work on public theology and Christian education, before stepping down 14 months later when he was charged by South Wales Police.
Article by Press Association
Reporting courtesy of Press Association.
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