Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MUM BROUGHT CHURCH ATTACK ACCUSED TO PSNI
Court told parent spotted suspect on CCTV
A MAN accused of a church break-in where bible pages were smeared in excrement was identified on CCTV images by his mother, a court heard yesterday.
Derry Magistrates Court was told James Anthony Kennedy, 22, was arrested on Wednesday after his mother saw a police appeal.
It is alleged he entered Christ Church at Infirmary Road in the city on September 12 and stole a crystal decanter, a reader’s robe, an organist’s surplice and communion wine.
He is also charged with causing criminal damage to a stained-glass window, a church organ, a bible as well as the church boiler room.
A detective constable told District Judge Barney Mcelholm the destruction cost between £75,000 and £100,000 but that excluded the damages to the organ.
The witness said someone had defecated in the boiler room and the raiders entered by smashing a stained-glass window with a fire extinguisher.
She added: “In the boiler room the police found pages which had been ripped from the bible.
“It contained faecal matter which had also been smeared on the organ and pipes.
“The bottle containing the communion wine had been shattered.” The police witness said CCTV footage from nearby Brooke Park showed two men climbing over the church fence, leaving the building two-and-a-half hours later and returning to the building one hour after they’d left.
She told the court: “We had no positive suspects until Wednesday of this week when stills of the CCTV were made public.
“We later received a phone call from the defendant’s mother who said she had recognised her son on one of the images and she brought him to Strand Road Police station.”
Kennedy, of Glenside Park, Derry, denied being inside the church building but admitted being inside the grounds.
The officer said when he was shown the CCTV he allegedly said “it looks like me” but he later added “I was not in the church”.
She added when asked if the offences were motivated for sectarian or hate reasons, the defendant replied “no comment”.
She said DNA had yet to be forensically analysed.
Applying for bail defence solicitor Paddy Mcgurk said the defendant denied absolutely any involvement.
He added: “He has expressed his revulsion at the acts carried out.
“He is absolutely horrified as is his family. There is nothing in his background of a sectarian nature.
“His mother is married to a man of a Protestant faith and he has many friends of the that religion.
He wants to express his absolute horror at what happened.”
Mr Mcgurk said it could take many months for the forensic tests to be complete.
Judge Mcelhom said while there was evidence which placed Kennedy in the immediate vicinity of the church, there was none to place him inside the church.
Releasing him on bail of £500 with a surety of £750, he added: “It all depends on the forensic evidence as to whether or not he can be placed in the church.
“It is not 100% clear what the motivation for the attack on this church was, but that may well crystallise as the inquiry goes on.
“There is the presumption of innocence and the investigation will go where it goes.”
DERRY MAGISTRATES YESTERDAY