A former minister who was convicted by a jury of defrauding both his church and a parishioner has been warned that he may be jailed next week.
Adrian Robert McLaughlin, from Church Avenue in Dunmurry, was found guilty by a jury of two counts of fraud by abuse of position.
During a trial held at Craigavon Crown Court in June, the jury convicted the 50-year old of defrauding £10,000 from St Coleman’s Parish Church in Dunmurry on a date between October 15 and November 30, 2016.
Despite his denials, the father of two was found guilty that without the authority from the treasurer or Church Vestry, he wrote a cheque from St Coleman’s bank account which he made payable to himself.
The now former Church of Ireland minister was also convicted of receiving a cheque for £1,000 from parishioner who donated it to the church but which McLaughlin made payable to himself.
The jury heard this offence was committed between September 24 and October 31, 2016 and that the parishioner was a ‘grieving widow.
Despite the jury’s guilty verdicts, McLaughlin continues to deny the two offences.
McLaughlin was back in court on Friday for final submissions which were made to Judge Patrick Lynch KC, who was sitting at Belfast Crown Court.
Crown prosecutor Joseph Murphy told the judge that McLaughlin has provided “inaccurate” information to a probation officer who prepared a pre-sentence report.
These “inaccuracies”, Mr Murphy said, included how much McLaughlin said he was paid as a minister from 2019 to 2024.
Mr Murphy also said that McLaughlin made an allegation against “another person” to both probation and the PSNI over the summer regarding “a non-contact offence”.
The prosecutor told Judge Lynch: “One might perceive the timings of those complaints being entered by the defendant to try and engender the sympathy of the court ahead of the sentencing exercise.”
Defence barrister Richard McConkey then addressed the judge and spoke of the “significant” impact a prison sentence would have on McLaughlin’s two teenage children, who his client has sole custody of.
Saying McLaughlin was a man of previous good character who, prior to the trial, had no criminal record, Mr McConkey pointed out his client has been assessed by Probation as “posing a low likelihood of re-offending”.
Mr McConkey also spoke of the “inordinate delay” in this case and urged Judge Lynch to “invoke the principle of mercy” when it came to passing sentence.
After listening to submissions from both the Crown and defence, Judge Lynch said he would sentence McLaughlin next Tuesday.
Before releasing him from the dock, Judge Lynch told the former minister he should make “appropriate plans” for a prison sentence as it was a “live possibility”.