...AND NEW PREACHER IS CONVICTED THIEF!

THE current minister in the Ross-shire parish where the Rev Ivan Warwick defrauded three elderly brothers has a conviction for theft.

Since 2021, the Rev Ronald Gall, pictured, has been minister for Fodderty and Strathpeffer. Between June 2013 and March 2015, the 62-year-old stole £31,463 from a Scottish charity set up to assist elderly people, to buy a new family car and pay off a loan and credit card debt.

After he admitted stealing the cash at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, Sheriff Graham Buchanan told him: ‘This was theft. The Crown narration has the ring of what could be described as a significant breach of trust.’

After he confessed, he was suspended by the Church of Scotland for two years, ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and return the stolen cash. He was hired by the parish after it advertised for a minister with ‘integrity’. He was ‘forgiven’ by the Kirk and the community was made aware of his criminal past.

The Kirk said: ‘Forgiveness and redemption are core tenets of the Gospel and in readmitting Rev Ronnie Gall to the ministry we are putting these principles into practice.’

Last week, parish session clerk Sandra Allan said: ‘Reverend Ronald Gall is a great minister, an upright Christian man, and there are no additional concerns about him.’