A senior Church of England vicar has been accused of being a “bully and a liar” and of spitting at one of his churchwardens, in a rare ecclesiastical court sitting in London.

The Rev Tom Ambrose, 60, vicar of St Mary and St Michael in Trumpington, near Cambridge, is accused of bringing his once “thriving parish” to breaking point. Church wardens resigned, volunteers left and Dr Ambrose ignored the parochial church council, the tribunal was told.

Dr Ambrose told members of the congregation who did not agree with him to leave, sent hate e-mails and made personal attacks on “opponents” during sermons, it was claimed.

Dr Ambrose was once regarded as one of the Church’s leading communications strategists. He also gained a reputation when, about ten years ago, he knocked down a cornered thief in Newmarket, standing over him until the police arrived.

The tribunal could cost Dr Ambrose his job. And, taking into account any subsequent appeals, it could cost the Church more than £500,000. It is being heard under the rarely used Incumbents (Vacation of Benefices) Measure of 1977.

Tribunals can be set up by a bishop if an initial inquiry shows that there are “reasonable grounds” to suspect that there has been a breakdown in pastoral relations. Justin Gau, representing the parish parochial church council, said: “This is a very sad case — it is in fact an old-fashioned divorce caused by irretrievable breakdown between a priest and his parish. Dr Ambrose is a square peg in a round hole. He has talent, he is intelligent and learned, but he is also a bully and a liar. He would lose his temper if he did not get his own way, and he was incapable of believing the beliefs of others if they did not fit his own. He brought a thriving parish to its knees.

“Churchwarden after churchwarden resigned, volunteers left, and his answer was always to attack. He told bold lies and ordered people to leave the parish if they did not agree with him. They lost all trust in him, and if there is no trust between the parish and the priest then the mission of the Church of England has failed.”

According to Dr Ambrose, who moved to Trumpington in 1999, the congregation turned on him when he tried to modernise the church, such as installing lavatories. When parishioners, including a warden, Marilyn Orson, complained in a letter to the bishop, Dr Ambrose went to her home. Mrs Orson told the hearing: “He called me a liar. I am not a liar and I was very distressed by this. We spent a very long time putting the letter together in a reasonable way because we thought it would spare everyone’s blushes.”

She said that she thought the matter could be sorted out by the archdeacon “over a pint” but Dr Ambrose claimed that he had never received a copy of the complaint letter.

Mrs Orson said: “I was actually really frightened of him. At one point he was towering over me and shouting at me and I actually thought he was going to grab my shoulders and shake me or hit me. I enjoyed his initial services and I really did try to engage with him but it was difficult.”

The tribunal, made up of two members of the clergy, a lawyer and two laymen, chaired by a circuit judge, is taking place over five days at St Mary le Bow Church near St Paul’s, London.