Mr Scott said after the “confession” Leighton was “reproved”, which means he was disciplined and all privileges removed from him.
He was not, at that stage, “disfellowed”, or banished from the church. Being “disfellowed” means nobody is allowed to speak to the disfellowed member and while they may still attend meetings, they are not allowed to participate.
Mr Scott said contacting the police was not discussed as an option.
It was only later, when allegations of violence were made against Leighton, that he was disfellowed and expelled from the congregation.
Mr Scott said: “It is not what you expect a Christian, someone who lives by Christian standards, to do, acting violently towards someone.
“The Bible says violence should be avoided.”
Henry Logan is also an elder at the congregation. He was also at the meeting and had participated in the internal “investigation”. He too said Leighton had initially denied the allegations.
But he added: “He then said that he had been drunk at the time and he may have done those things while he was drunk.”
Mr Logan said he was present when Leighton was told he would be reproved after the admissions.
He said: “He put his hands over his face and said ‘oh, I thought I was going to be disfellowshipped’ and he had tears in his eyes.”
Simon Preyser is an elder from the Roker congregation in Sunderland.
He chaired the meeting and described the allegations as “horrific”.
Mr Preyser told the court about Leighton’s initial denials but added: “He said ‘it might well be, while under the influence of alcohol, I did things I shouldn’t have done. Some of the things she’s said, I’ve done’.
“He just simply said ‘I’m sorry’.”