A SENIOR disabilities champion and ex-Unison branch secretary has been found guilty of five counts of historical sex abuse.

Mark Fysh, who is himself disabled, looked over to the public gallery in shock as jurors handed down unanimous verdicts at Oxford Crown Court this morning.

The 60-year old of Whitecross, Wootton, near Abingdon, had denied seven counts alleging indecent assault as well as two counts alleging indecency with a child.

After four hours and 31 minutes of deliberations jurors found him guilty of four counts of assault and one of indecency today.

He was cleared by unanimous verdict of the remaining four counts.

During the week-long trial prosecutors had said that Fysh - who has cerebral palsy and watched from a specialist armchair in court - sexually abused his victim between November 1985 and November 1987.

The woman, who was under 16 at the time and cannot be named for legal reasons, said Fysh touched her sexually over her clothing and forced her to rub his genitals on multiple occasions.

She described how her family would often attend parties and events at Fysh’s house when he lived in the Grove area of Oxfordshire.

Fysh would regularly sit close to her on the sofa, hug her and put his arm around her, she claimed.

She told police: “I remember sitting on the sofa and he would come and sit by me.

“I had a reaction like any teenager. I used to get really red and embarrassed. It was my personal space.

“I did not really like it but he managed to get under my defences and eventually it was ok.

“I did not listen to my instincts. It just became something that was ok."

She said this led to an incident in a bathroom before further abuse was carried out by Fysh, including touching her on several occasions as well as kissing and touching while on the landing of his home while others were downstairs.

Taking to the witness box to deny any wrong-doing Fysh claimed that his physical ailments would have made any 'spontaneous' sexual acts impossible.

The former local government officer told jurors that his cerebral palsy meant he was in constant pain.

The court also heard during the trial how Fysh had been a branch secretary of Oxfordshire Unison as well as a member of the TUC general council.

In that role he was the lead officer for disabilities.

After the verdicts had been handed down presiding Jude Nigel Daly said that he would adjourn sentencing while a pre-sentence report is prepared to explore all sentencing options.

He also said that the facilities at Oxford Crown Court could not accommodate a sentencing hearing for a wheelchair user and the case would need to be adjourned to Reading Crown Court instead.

Fysh was released on bail to await his sentencing hearing to be held at Reading on June 7.