Girl (7) forced to help with raid on church
A seven-year-old girl was left traumatised after a man forced her to crawl through a tunnel to open a trapdoor into a 19th century Perthshire church.
The youngster, who can’t be named for legal reasons, is now afraid of the dark and has behavioural problems following her ordeal.
Thirty-four-year-old Andrew Park, of Aberuthven, then stole handbells, silver communion cups, a candle snuffer and other items from Blackford Parish Church in the February raid.
The 160-year-old building was ransacked and the pulpit was overturned.
Minister Mairi Perkins was reportedly left in tears after the extend of the damage was revealed.
It was later discovered there was asbestos in the walls of the building and it has been closed meantime while the Church of Scotland decide their next move.
Weekly services have been held in nearby Ardoch Church in Braco.
Career criminal Park admitted the theft from the church, as well as a catalogue of other crimes committed in the north of Scotland.
They included breaking into locked sheds, boats and a hotel in Durness and stealing an iPod and an iPad, committed between February 4 and 8.
He also pled guilty to exposing the young girl to unnecessary suffering by inducing her to crawl through the tunnel and steal the items from the church.
A co-accused, 46-year-old Louise Coburn, Park’s partner at the time, admitted two charges of reset, one relating to items stolen from the hotel and one of having items taken from the church at her home address.
Coburn was freed on bail but Park was remanded in custody meantime while reports are obtained.
They will both return to Dundee Sheriff Court for sentence on June 6. Blackford Parish Church