Priest: I Had a Second Lover, by Chris Musson, Glasgow Evening Times [Scotland], April 4, 2007

Priest: I Had a Second Lover

By Chris Musson
Glasgow Evening Times [Scotland]
April 4, 2007

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/display.var.1308260.0.priest_i_had_a_second_lover.php

A Glasgow priest who had sex with Angelika Kluk today admitted having another affair - with a church musician.

Details of the sexual relationship between Father Gerry Nugent and Sarah Howie were revealed by the priest this afternoon at the High Court in Edinburgh.

It came a day after he admitted having sex with 23-year-old Angelika, whose body was later found under the floor at his church, St Patrick's in Anderston, Glasgow.

Father Nugent

Peter Tobin, 60, a handyman at the church, is on trial accused of raping and murdering Angelika last September and hiding her body. He denies all the charges against him.

Under questioning by defence QC Donald Findlay, the 63-year-old priest said his relationship with Ms Howie began around 1998, shortly after he arrived at the parish.

I Told Witness to Conceal Evidence

Gerry Nugent has admitted he told a witness to hide evidence, a court heard today.

Defence QC Donald Findlay asked Father Nugent: 'Did you ever tell anyone to conceal evidence from the police?'

The priest replied: 'Yes, Rebecca.'

Mr Findlay said: 'You told Rebecca Dordi to conceal some matter or matters from the police?' Father Nugent replied: 'Yes'

No details of the matters he advised Ms Dordi to conceal were revealed, and Mr Findlay went on to question Father Nugent about his alcoholism.

Father Nugent said he began suffering from the disease around a decade ago, then sought help from a 'fellowship'.

He said he went back on the drink around two years ago, around the same time he met Angelika.

However, despite being pressed, he denied the relationship with Angelika had anything to do with the illness returning.

Father Nugent said: "Sarah and I had a sexual relationship and that stopped and consequently we just stopped talking."

The court heard the relationship in 1998 or 1999 included an incident when he approached her from behind in one of the church rooms, put his hand on her backside and was told to "F*** off".

Father Gerry said that following the end of the affair, he was no longer on good terms with Ms Howie, who played guitar at church masses.

The Evening Times reported yesterday that Father Gerry Nugent admitted in court that he had a sexual relationship with Angelika Kluk

"We don't get on," he added.

But he said there was "no reason for her to tell lies to the police".

He repeatedly denied he had any knowledge of a "secret" compartment beneath floorboards where Angelika's body was found last September 29 - less than a yard from his confessional box.

However, it emerged Ms Howie gave a statement to police in January this year, saying Father Gerry did know about the hatch.

Mr Findlay read the court a police statement in which Ms Howie said that eight years ago she and a friend, Jean Phillips, had looked round the church for "secret passages".

Ms Howie said they found two - one by an altar and one by the confessional box.

In the statement, she said she then told Father Nugent about the one beside the confessional, and the priest jokingly replied: "Did you find any dead bodies?"

The court was shown photos of the hatch in the floor.

But Father Gerry insisted he did not know it was there.

"I know it must sound incredible, but I didn't know," he added.

In court yesterday, Father Gerry admitted he was an alcoholic and said he felt "guilty, ashamed, and disgusted" with himself for having sex with Angelika soon after she came to stay at the church during her summer holiday in 2005.

Father Gerry also admitted buying Angelika a £1500 laptop computer, giving her money, and allowing her to use his credit card.

Angelika was studying languages at a university in Gdansk and and spent vacations in Scotland, working as a cleaner to help fund her course, the court heard.

Father Gerry also told the court he had left St Patrick's two weeks ago.

Archbishop Mario Conti had asked for his resignation.

He said that officially he was still a priest in the Archdiocese of Glasgow, but was on sick leave and getting treatment for his drink problem, asthma and suspected multiple sclerosis.

The murder charge alleges that Tobin murdered Angelika between September 24 and September 29 in St Patrick's Church, or elsewhere.

He allegedly gagged her with cloth and tape, tied her hands, raped her, battered her with a piece of wood or something similar, and repeatedly struck her with a knife.

It's alleged he then hid her body under the floor of the church in an attempt to defeat the ends of justice.

In a "special defence" read to the jury, Tobin admits having sex with Angelika, with her consent.

A further charge - which Tobin also denies - alleges he told Glasgow police his name was Patrick McLaughlin, gave a false date of birth and address, and that he travelled to London and gave staff at the National Neurology and Neurosurgery Hospital in London another false name.

Tobin also denies a breach of the peace between July and September last year by threatening Russian student Rebecca Dordi at St Patrick's Church.

The trial continues.

"Father denies he was consumed with rage"

Father Nugent today denied he was jealous or "consumed with rage" over Angelika's sexual relationship with married man Martin Macaskill.

Under intense questioning by Mr Findlay, Father Nugent said: "That's not the truth. I was not cold. I was not filled with rage. I was not jealous."

However, he did admit looking in Angelika's room at the chapel house.

Mr Findlay accused Father Nugent of lying and betraying his duty as a priest by telling another woman about finding a condom.

Father Nugent replied: "I didn't see it that way."

The conversation took place after the chance discovery by Russian student Rebecca Dordi of sexually explicit images on a new church computer, the trial heard.

Mr Findlay challenged Father Nugent about "rummaging" in Angelika's room - an allegation the priest denied, saying there were church items stored there.

Mr Findlay said: "You were looking for, and found, evidence of sexual activity, namely a condom."

But Father Nugent countered: "I wasn't looking in the bin, I saw it. I thought it was a condom. That is when I thought there must be a relationship going on here."

Father Nugent said he wasn't jealous of the relationship and "once it had been spoken about, that was the matter finished as far as I was concerned".

Mr Findlay countered: "That is a lie, Father Nugent, just a lie! You became cold, you hardly spoke to her, you were angry with her.

"You were angry with her, rage fuelled by jealousy and no doubt fortified from time to time by drink," persisted Mr Findlay.

Father Gerry admitted drinking but denied being in a rage.