In the second part of our investigation into criminality in the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church membership, we look at the inconsistencies of sentencing and ex-communication. Please be aware some parts of our investigation are quite horrific.
Oscar Holley
In May 2022 at Swindon Crown Court, UK. As reported by the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald, brethren member Oscar Holley walked free from court despite being caught with over 1,000 child abuse images, after the judge heard, he 'played a strong role in his community and church'.
The court heard, that over a 3 year period Holley searched for abusive images of children aged between 0 and 5 years old, including entering horrific search terms such as "toddlers tortured". He used a TOR browser to access the dark web and a history eraser and eight VPN applications on his mobile phone.
The court had hear that Wiltshire Police's child internet exploitation team had been tipped off that an IP address in the Chippenham area had accessed child abuse material. They attended Holley's address in Dauntsey, Wiltshire, and spoke to his mother. The following day, his father called the police officer and said that his son had confessed to him. At least 1,100 indecent images of children were found, including multiple victims under the age of two years old. It is likely the actual number of images was much higher, as police stopped counting. Images found on the mobile phone included 196 that were found to be of Category A, the most serious. There was was also 528 Category B and 550 Category C.
In mitigation, Benjamin Newton said that his client had the "most significant cumulation of mitigating features", pointing to his previous good character, age and immaturity at the time of offending. He said the now 23-year old has "led quite a sheltered life" and "doesn't have the typical sexual maturity of a typical 18, 19-year old at the time of that offending behaviour". He likened it to falling down a "rabbit hole" in the "privacy" of his bedroom. "We have evidence of a young man that is family-orientated, hard-working, conscientious, someone who plays a strong role in his community and church", Mr Newton continued, adding that he would clear footpaths and byways in his community and help the elderly in his parish.
Judge Jason Taylor, QC said his "strong" mitigation outweighed the fact that "appropriate punishment can only be met by immediate custody". He warned Holley: "You need to understand that if you commit any further offences you stand liable to come back to court and the presumption you'll go to prison. I'm placing trust in you and you need to stay in close contact with your family and open up to your family."
Earlier, he had highlighted the seriousness of indecent images charges, saying: "I'm sure this has dawned on you by now, you were a cog in this this whole industry, because if people like you didn't access them, they wouldn't be produced. The children you witnessed were real and they will have real consequences for the rest of their lives and that is why the court takes them so seriously."
Oscar Holley was given a two-year jail term, suspended for two years, during which he must take part in 20 rehabilitation activity days and 175 hours of unpaid work. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years, which will restrict his contact with young people and his use of the internet.
Our investigation can reveal that Oscar Holley is still working as a Sales Manager in the family business today, and shares content on his LinkedIn profile on a frequent basis, with hundreds of posts linked to the business. His profile doesn't come under Oscar Holley but instead is listed as Oscar H. We would be somewhat surprised if is many customers are aware of his background.
We suspect that he hasn't been ex-communicated, though it is likely that he was "withdrawn from" at the time of the court case. We base this on the "likes" to his LinkedIn posts around May 2022, coming from non-brethren customers and family, whereas more current posts have "likes" from across the wider brethren community. It would appear that Holley worked for the family company before, during and after the court case in 2022.
One could question that for the seriousness of the crime, that the impact on Oscar Holley's career and future prospects was limited. The family business has seen significant growth over the last few years, with revenues reaching AUD $46 million (£23 million) in 2024.
Brooke Watney
In July 2018, at Cambridge Crown Court, UK. As reported by Cambridge News, brethren member Brooke Watney pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months. He was also disqualified from driving for two years, ordered to do 160 hours of unpaid work and pay prosecution costs of £500.
Watney, 20-years old at the time, was involved in a crash with a motorcyclist, Clive Kingsley (63) in Long Lane, Fowlmere, in February 2017. A dashcam, which had been in Watney's car, was removed by his father at the scene of the crash but was later recovered by police at their home in Little Abington. The footage showed Watney, of Westfield, Little Abington was on the wrong side of the road when he collided with Mr Kingsley's motorbike and that the bike was in full view of Watney's car for three seconds before the crash.
Mr Kingsley had been on his way home from work when the crash happened. One witness, who lives in Long Lane, heard the crash and rushed out of her home. She said she saw Watney's smart car "swerving, as if it was trying to regain control." Members of the public rushed to help Mr Kingsley, who had fallen into a bush at the side road by the collision. Watney, whose car fell in a ditch following the crash, said he was distracted, he did not remember what distracted him but that before the crash he looked down as he struggled to get his car into gear.
The court heard, Mr Kingsley, a motorbike enthusiast, replaced his 'dream' bike with the one he was riding in the accident because he wanted to be "safer". His family said they were devastated by the loss of their husband and father, "Wednesday, February 15, 2017, is the day my life as I know it ended," his wife, Sue Kingsley said in a victim impact statement. She added "Months on it's still the same total devastation, my whole life will never be normal...when he died, part of me also died."
The couple had been together for 40 years, had two sons together and were about to start building their dram house. Both sons spoke about the lasting impact their father's death had on their family, especially their mother.
Miss Hunter QC, said in mitigation that Watney was genuinely sorry for the effects of his actions. She said: "He is not a typical care free young person, he's a deeply religious person in conscience and spirit, he's a young man of committed faith. He has deeply felt the same of the actions." She added: "He will live with the regret over the tragedy he has caused for the rest of his life." The court head how Watney, a member of the Plymouth Brethren, had already been given a community order by his church, which still has 17 months on it.
In sentencing judge David Farrell QC said: "You had ample opportunity, if paying attention, to steer out of the pathway of the motorbike and avoid the collision." He added: "In this case there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and strong personal mitigation, in particular your age and steps taken by you, and this will work you to rehabilitate you following this tragic event." Judge Farrell QC said no sentence imposed by the court could ever be enough for Mr Kingsley's family and praised their dignity throughout today's proceedings.
Our investigation found that following the tragic event, Brooke Watney left his role in customer service at brethren owned company Accora in April 2017, and joined the Watney family business in August 2017 and is now the General Manager of the business. We can also see he has been a volunteer for the brethren owned charity the Rapid Relief Team, where we suspect he completed his 'PBCC community order'.
Carlton Slegg
In September 2025, at Staines Magistrates Court, UK. Carlton Slegg, a brethren member pleaded guilty to impersonating a Police Officer. This court case has not been picked up by any local media outlets. It was brought to our attention by someone inside the Brethren (a member), we were informed that Carlton Slegg had been ex-communicated and that his wife was divorcing him, we were also told (incorrectly) that he had been sentenced to a six month jail sentence.
We contacted Carlton Slegg and a conversation then took place, following this off the record conversation, we then obtained the court records, which confirmed that Mr Slegg had pleaded guilty to impersonating a police officer. He was sentenced to a curfew with electronic monitoring, rehabilitation activity, unpaid work and an order made to deprive him of his right in Blue Lights seized from the vehicle.
We then provided Carlton Slegg with an opportunity to provide his comments prior to publishing this story. We have received no response.
Prior to the tip regarding the court case, we were aware of Carlton Slegg from our previous Covid Contract investigations. Before the Covid pandemic, he was an Associate, Client Relations, EMEA at the Hales owned Unispace, working alongside another brethren member, Ross Robertson, Robertson was to start a company called Medco Solutions. Unispace and Medco Solutions were to become two of the largest UK Government PPE & Testing contract winners during Covid.
Slegg was involved in the sale of PPE, with regular posts and comments on LinkedIn connecting him to PPE sourcing throughout the pandemic. Following the pandemic Slegg worked for the Hales owned Sante Group (the company formed by Gareth and Charles Hales after the sale of Unispace).
In June 2024, Slegg left Sante to become a Senior Associate at Woodalls. Woodalls is an interior outfitting company owned by the Woodcock family, the same Woodcock family that had founded Unispace (also an interior outfitting company) in the UK.
At Brethren Exposed we were somewhat surprised that Carlton Slegg had been ex-communicated by the brethren, especially considering his involvement in the PPE profiteering and connection to the Hales, Hazell, Woodcock families and that despite serious offences that neither Oscar Holley or Brooke Watney had been ex-communicated.
It would also go 'against the grain', as we are led to believe from information provided by those inside the brethren, that currently every attempt is being made to keep members from leaving during the current climate.
Since being ex-communicated, Carlton Slegg has quickly gained employment since leaving Woodalls in July 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile, with a non-brethren interior outfitting company called Thirdway, as their European Director.
In May 2022 at Swindon Crown Court, UK. As reported by the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald, brethren member Oscar Holley walked free from court despite being caught with over 1,000 child abuse images, after the judge heard, he 'played a strong role in his community and church'.
The court heard, that over a 3 year period Holley searched for abusive images of children aged between 0 and 5 years old, including entering horrific search terms such as "toddlers tortured". He used a TOR browser to access the dark web and a history eraser and eight VPN applications on his mobile phone.
The court had hear that Wiltshire Police's child internet exploitation team had been tipped off that an IP address in the Chippenham area had accessed child abuse material. They attended Holley's address in Dauntsey, Wiltshire, and spoke to his mother. The following day, his father called the police officer and said that his son had confessed to him. At least 1,100 indecent images of children were found, including multiple victims under the age of two years old. It is likely the actual number of images was much higher, as police stopped counting. Images found on the mobile phone included 196 that were found to be of Category A, the most serious. There was was also 528 Category B and 550 Category C.
In mitigation, Benjamin Newton said that his client had the "most significant cumulation of mitigating features", pointing to his previous good character, age and immaturity at the time of offending. He said the now 23-year old has "led quite a sheltered life" and "doesn't have the typical sexual maturity of a typical 18, 19-year old at the time of that offending behaviour". He likened it to falling down a "rabbit hole" in the "privacy" of his bedroom. "We have evidence of a young man that is family-orientated, hard-working, conscientious, someone who plays a strong role in his community and church", Mr Newton continued, adding that he would clear footpaths and byways in his community and help the elderly in his parish.
Judge Jason Taylor, QC said his "strong" mitigation outweighed the fact that "appropriate punishment can only be met by immediate custody". He warned Holley: "You need to understand that if you commit any further offences you stand liable to come back to court and the presumption you'll go to prison. I'm placing trust in you and you need to stay in close contact with your family and open up to your family."
Earlier, he had highlighted the seriousness of indecent images charges, saying: "I'm sure this has dawned on you by now, you were a cog in this this whole industry, because if people like you didn't access them, they wouldn't be produced. The children you witnessed were real and they will have real consequences for the rest of their lives and that is why the court takes them so seriously."
Oscar Holley was given a two-year jail term, suspended for two years, during which he must take part in 20 rehabilitation activity days and 175 hours of unpaid work. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years, which will restrict his contact with young people and his use of the internet.
Our investigation can reveal that Oscar Holley is still working as a Sales Manager in the family business today, and shares content on his LinkedIn profile on a frequent basis, with hundreds of posts linked to the business. His profile doesn't come under Oscar Holley but instead is listed as Oscar H. We would be somewhat surprised if is many customers are aware of his background.
We suspect that he hasn't been ex-communicated, though it is likely that he was "withdrawn from" at the time of the court case. We base this on the "likes" to his LinkedIn posts around May 2022, coming from non-brethren customers and family, whereas more current posts have "likes" from across the wider brethren community. It would appear that Holley worked for the family company before, during and after the court case in 2022.
One could question that for the seriousness of the crime, that the impact on Oscar Holley's career and future prospects was limited. The family business has seen significant growth over the last few years, with revenues reaching AUD $46 million (£23 million) in 2024.
Brooke Watney
In July 2018, at Cambridge Crown Court, UK. As reported by Cambridge News, brethren member Brooke Watney pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months. He was also disqualified from driving for two years, ordered to do 160 hours of unpaid work and pay prosecution costs of £500.
Watney, 20-years old at the time, was involved in a crash with a motorcyclist, Clive Kingsley (63) in Long Lane, Fowlmere, in February 2017. A dashcam, which had been in Watney's car, was removed by his father at the scene of the crash but was later recovered by police at their home in Little Abington. The footage showed Watney, of Westfield, Little Abington was on the wrong side of the road when he collided with Mr Kingsley's motorbike and that the bike was in full view of Watney's car for three seconds before the crash.
Mr Kingsley had been on his way home from work when the crash happened. One witness, who lives in Long Lane, heard the crash and rushed out of her home. She said she saw Watney's smart car "swerving, as if it was trying to regain control." Members of the public rushed to help Mr Kingsley, who had fallen into a bush at the side road by the collision. Watney, whose car fell in a ditch following the crash, said he was distracted, he did not remember what distracted him but that before the crash he looked down as he struggled to get his car into gear.
The court heard, Mr Kingsley, a motorbike enthusiast, replaced his 'dream' bike with the one he was riding in the accident because he wanted to be "safer". His family said they were devastated by the loss of their husband and father, "Wednesday, February 15, 2017, is the day my life as I know it ended," his wife, Sue Kingsley said in a victim impact statement. She added "Months on it's still the same total devastation, my whole life will never be normal...when he died, part of me also died."
The couple had been together for 40 years, had two sons together and were about to start building their dram house. Both sons spoke about the lasting impact their father's death had on their family, especially their mother.
Miss Hunter QC, said in mitigation that Watney was genuinely sorry for the effects of his actions. She said: "He is not a typical care free young person, he's a deeply religious person in conscience and spirit, he's a young man of committed faith. He has deeply felt the same of the actions." She added: "He will live with the regret over the tragedy he has caused for the rest of his life." The court head how Watney, a member of the Plymouth Brethren, had already been given a community order by his church, which still has 17 months on it.
In sentencing judge David Farrell QC said: "You had ample opportunity, if paying attention, to steer out of the pathway of the motorbike and avoid the collision." He added: "In this case there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and strong personal mitigation, in particular your age and steps taken by you, and this will work you to rehabilitate you following this tragic event." Judge Farrell QC said no sentence imposed by the court could ever be enough for Mr Kingsley's family and praised their dignity throughout today's proceedings.
Our investigation found that following the tragic event, Brooke Watney left his role in customer service at brethren owned company Accora in April 2017, and joined the Watney family business in August 2017 and is now the General Manager of the business. We can also see he has been a volunteer for the brethren owned charity the Rapid Relief Team, where we suspect he completed his 'PBCC community order'.
Carlton Slegg
In September 2025, at Staines Magistrates Court, UK. Carlton Slegg, a brethren member pleaded guilty to impersonating a Police Officer. This court case has not been picked up by any local media outlets. It was brought to our attention by someone inside the Brethren (a member), we were informed that Carlton Slegg had been ex-communicated and that his wife was divorcing him, we were also told (incorrectly) that he had been sentenced to a six month jail sentence.
We contacted Carlton Slegg and a conversation then took place, following this off the record conversation, we then obtained the court records, which confirmed that Mr Slegg had pleaded guilty to impersonating a police officer. He was sentenced to a curfew with electronic monitoring, rehabilitation activity, unpaid work and an order made to deprive him of his right in Blue Lights seized from the vehicle.
We then provided Carlton Slegg with an opportunity to provide his comments prior to publishing this story. We have received no response.
Prior to the tip regarding the court case, we were aware of Carlton Slegg from our previous Covid Contract investigations. Before the Covid pandemic, he was an Associate, Client Relations, EMEA at the Hales owned Unispace, working alongside another brethren member, Ross Robertson, Robertson was to start a company called Medco Solutions. Unispace and Medco Solutions were to become two of the largest UK Government PPE & Testing contract winners during Covid.
Slegg was involved in the sale of PPE, with regular posts and comments on LinkedIn connecting him to PPE sourcing throughout the pandemic. Following the pandemic Slegg worked for the Hales owned Sante Group (the company formed by Gareth and Charles Hales after the sale of Unispace).
In June 2024, Slegg left Sante to become a Senior Associate at Woodalls. Woodalls is an interior outfitting company owned by the Woodcock family, the same Woodcock family that had founded Unispace (also an interior outfitting company) in the UK.
At Brethren Exposed we were somewhat surprised that Carlton Slegg had been ex-communicated by the brethren, especially considering his involvement in the PPE profiteering and connection to the Hales, Hazell, Woodcock families and that despite serious offences that neither Oscar Holley or Brooke Watney had been ex-communicated.
It would also go 'against the grain', as we are led to believe from information provided by those inside the brethren, that currently every attempt is being made to keep members from leaving during the current climate.
Since being ex-communicated, Carlton Slegg has quickly gained employment since leaving Woodalls in July 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile, with a non-brethren interior outfitting company called Thirdway, as their European Director.
Kester Fentiman
In the first part of our investigation into brethren member criminality, we highlighted the theme of being a member of the Plymouth Brethren, and thus the claim of being a good Christian member of the community in mitigation. It is mitigation that both Holley & Watney used in their defence. As we were about to publish this article, yet another story appeared in the East Anglian Daily Times, with another brethren member claiming brethren fellowship as mitigation!
Kester Fentiman of Common Road, Weston Colville (we will come back to the address!), was caught driving on the A11 at Mildenhall, more than twice the legal limit for alcohol, the day after a 'Christmas Party' in December 2025.
The court heard that Fentiman was in the process of taking over the family business from his father. The business, in which Fentiman also holds a sales representative role, employs 30 people. It was was also heard that Fentiman is a practicing member of the Plymouth Brethren, a branch of Christianity. The impact of Fentiman losing his licence would have upon his employees, his family and his commitment to his church and charity were discussed. It was heard that, like many members, Fentiman attends church every day and three times every Sunday, with his place of worship being a 28-mile round trip.
Fentiman was given a 23 month driving ban, fined £1,750, surcharges of £700 and costs of £110, a total of £2,560.
In this case, the presiding magistrates told him this was the minimum ban they could impose, and that they had taken into account his previous good character.
In court, Fentiman gave his address as Common Road, Weston Colville, he also claimed in his mitigation that he had a 28-mile round trip to his place of worship. We found this somewhat unusual, as every meeting room planning application plays on the local need, so we checked, and we found that there is Brethren meeting room, owned by the Radegund Gospel Hall Trust, at 50 Chapel Road, Weston Green. This is less than 1 mile from Common Road! One of the trustees of this meeting room is Brentley Fentiman, Kester's brother.
In the first part of our investigation into brethren member criminality, we highlighted the theme of being a member of the Plymouth Brethren, and thus the claim of being a good Christian member of the community in mitigation. It is mitigation that both Holley & Watney used in their defence. As we were about to publish this article, yet another story appeared in the East Anglian Daily Times, with another brethren member claiming brethren fellowship as mitigation!
Kester Fentiman of Common Road, Weston Colville (we will come back to the address!), was caught driving on the A11 at Mildenhall, more than twice the legal limit for alcohol, the day after a 'Christmas Party' in December 2025.
The court heard that Fentiman was in the process of taking over the family business from his father. The business, in which Fentiman also holds a sales representative role, employs 30 people. It was was also heard that Fentiman is a practicing member of the Plymouth Brethren, a branch of Christianity. The impact of Fentiman losing his licence would have upon his employees, his family and his commitment to his church and charity were discussed. It was heard that, like many members, Fentiman attends church every day and three times every Sunday, with his place of worship being a 28-mile round trip.
Fentiman was given a 23 month driving ban, fined £1,750, surcharges of £700 and costs of £110, a total of £2,560.
In this case, the presiding magistrates told him this was the minimum ban they could impose, and that they had taken into account his previous good character.
In court, Fentiman gave his address as Common Road, Weston Colville, he also claimed in his mitigation that he had a 28-mile round trip to his place of worship. We found this somewhat unusual, as every meeting room planning application plays on the local need, so we checked, and we found that there is Brethren meeting room, owned by the Radegund Gospel Hall Trust, at 50 Chapel Road, Weston Green. This is less than 1 mile from Common Road! One of the trustees of this meeting room is Brentley Fentiman, Kester's brother.
I'm a Christian, M'Lord!
Throughout this investigation we continually feel bemusement about the use of 'I'm a Christian, M'Lord' mitigation, even in the most serious of offences. We also struggle to see any consistency in the response of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, in terms of withdrawing from, ex-communicating and shutting-up. The only pattern that possibly emerges is one where, if you own a business and have not been sent to prison, then happy days, you can continue in fellowship. Don't own a business? Sent to Prison? Well, sorry it's time for separation.
One certainty, is that like the wider society, the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has its share of law-breakers and criminals. Finally, Christmas parties for people who don't celebrate Christmas....no, we didn't get it either.
Throughout this investigation we continually feel bemusement about the use of 'I'm a Christian, M'Lord' mitigation, even in the most serious of offences. We also struggle to see any consistency in the response of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, in terms of withdrawing from, ex-communicating and shutting-up. The only pattern that possibly emerges is one where, if you own a business and have not been sent to prison, then happy days, you can continue in fellowship. Don't own a business? Sent to Prison? Well, sorry it's time for separation.
One certainty, is that like the wider society, the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has its share of law-breakers and criminals. Finally, Christmas parties for people who don't celebrate Christmas....no, we didn't get it either.