Suspension for minister who stole group cash

Clergyman took £30,000 to pay off personal debt and buy a new car

A minister has been suspended after stealing more than £30,000 from a fund for needy pensioners.

In a crime described as “distressing” by the Church of Scotland, Ronald Gall helped himself to the cash to pay off personal debts and buy a new family car.

Gall, who is minister to Laurencekirk Parish Church and Aberluthnott Parish Church in Marykirk, took the money from the Cameron Fund, a trust created to help elderly people.

Despite his suspension, the 58-yearold still lives in the manse on Aberdeen Road, Laurencekirk.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard he has since repaid in full the £31,463.48, stolen between June 4 2013 and March 20 2015.

Depute fiscal Amanda Allan said the function of trustee for the Cameron Fund had been carried out by a solicitor but he stood down in 2011 after his practising certificate was suspended by the Law Society.

She added it was understood Gall and another man were told by the solicitor they were ex-officio trustees.

Despite believing themselves to be trustees, they were not – something which was accepted by the Crown and resulted in them being charged with theft.

The court heard Gall told the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) the fund was being wound up and the money was to be distributed to beneficiaries.

Miss Allan said: “In February 2015 an investigating officer for the OSCR requested an update from the accused on the state of the trust and the distribution of trust funds.

“Following further investigation by the OSCR it became clear that in addition to making a series of payments to beneficiaries who were properly entitled to receive trust funds, the accused had made a series of payments totalling £31,463.48 to himself from trust funds to which he knew he was not entitled.

“The funds transferred to the accused were used by him other than for trust purposes – money for personal needs including repayment of a personal loan, clearance of a credit card debt and purchase of a new family car.”

Sheriff Graham Buchanan said: “Not withstanding the fact that this was not embezzlement, it was theft, the Crown narration still has a ring of what could be described as a significant breach of trust, in the sense of over two years he was helping himself to money to which he was not entitled.” Gall will be sentenced in August. A Church of Scotland spokeswoman said: “In admitting the part he has played in this Rev Ronald Gall has shown a willingness to put things right.”

Ronald Gall took the money from the Cameron Fund, a trust created to help elderly people.