Minister guilty of wife attack
Assistant minister up for assaults
A highly- rated churchman has been found guilty of attacking his wife and a child.
Graeme Parkhill denied the charges but was found guilty at Ayr Sheriff Court last month.
But he won’t face any punishment after the attacks, with Sheriff Desmond Leslie deferring sentence for him to be of good behaviour.
He had worked as assistant minister at St Columba Church in the town for two years - but was suspended throughout the criminal investigation.
His defence agent Tony Currie had argued that Parkhill’s actions were in self defence - but Sheriff Desmond Leslie found him guilty of both charges.
Parkhill, 41, assaulted his wife Wendy Parkhill at their home in Chalmers Road by pushing her on the body, causing her to fall against a wall. Part of the charge stating she fell against a door to her injury was deleted.
And he assaulted a child by grabbing him and repeatedly punching him on the head before dragging him by the head and body, forcing him down onto a sofa and hold him there, all to his injury.
His bail address has been given Methill Road in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde.
The congregation at the busy Ayr church had told of their shock when Parkhill was first charge in June.
Parkhill began working at Ayr St Columba in August 2015, with him and his wife having previously been Salvation Army captains in Ayr between 2005 and 2012.
They had been praised by Rev Liz Crumlish of Castlehill Church as ‘ a couple who demonstrated Christian love and values in all they did.’
Parkhill’s bail conditions mean he cannot contact wife Wendy or his children or enter Chalmers Road in Ayr.
A motion from the crown for a nonharassment order was refused by the sheriff.
He will return to court in October to appear before Sheriff Leslie again.