Parish priest besotted with housekeeper stole £50,000

A CATHOLIC priest who stole £50,000 from his parish after falling in love with his housekeeper and lavishing gifts on her family has been spared jail.

Judge Christopher Prince said Fr John Reid’s fraud was an “aberration” that persisted over 40 months while he was in charge of St Cuthbert’s Church in Chesterle-Street, Co Durham.

The portly, white-haired 70-year-old priest was handed an 18-month suspended sentence at Durham Crown Court after he admitted fraud by abuse of position at a previous hearing. He has agreed to pay back the £50,000 within three months.

The court heard that Fr Reid told police he had fallen in love with his housekeeper Gillian Leddy, and saw her daughters, Veronica and Alice as “the family that he never had”.

He was supposed to live a simple life, but spent £1,200 on a canteen of William Turner cutlery, was a member of the Sunday Times Wine Club and spent £80 on oysters and smoked salmon while holidaying in Scotland.

Jane Waugh, prosecuting, said concerns were raised by parishioners in January 2013 about how finances were being handled.

The priest, now living in Stockton, had joined the parish in 2009 and accounts showed spending increased fourfold in some aspects, and doubled overall after he took over.

“This would appear to be because Gillian, Alice and Veronica Leddy, who are mother and daughters and close friends of the defendant from his previous parish at Willington, were effectively living at the presbytery and the defendant’s expenditure increased to reflect the fact that he was helping to support them financially,” said Ms Waugh.

Parishioners became concerned about the priest asking for blank cheques to be signed off, with Fr Reid handing over “bags of receipts” without adequate information about what they referred to.

An investigation involving the Bishop of Newcastle was launched and auditors were brought in, highlighting serious concerns.

A serious incident report was made to the Charity Commission by the diocese, and the matter referred to the police for a full investigation.

Christopher Knox, defending, spoke of 15 character references and said the priest expressed “great distress, regret and apology”.

Judge Prince was persuaded to suspend the sentence because of his good character. He suspended the jail term for two years, with no other conditions.