Glasgow Evening Times [Scotland]
April 12, 2007
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/display.var.1325177.0.priest_lied_to_friend_over_the_day_that_angelika_died.php
A priest lied to one of his closest friends about where he was on the day Angelika Kluk is thought to have died, a murder trial heard.
Father Gerry Nugent, 63, who earlier told the court he had a sexual relationship with the 23-year-old Polish student, had been out for a meal with a church helper in Bishopbriggs.
Soon after he returned to his rooms at St Patrick's Church in Anderston, Glasgow, that Sunday, September 25, he was joined by civil servant Geraldine McGowan, 37.
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| Angelika Kluk's body was found under floor |
Miss McGowan was revealed as the "mystery woman" in Father Nugent's sitting room when Angelika's sister and lover, and then police, searched the church for the girl the following evening.
On trial is odd-job man Peter Tobin, who denies raping and murdering Angelika and hiding her body under a floor at the church.
Questioned at the High Court in Edinburgh about the Sunday, she told how Father Nugent had phoned her. "I just went over to see he was OK," she added.
She said she found the priest quite tired and "nodding off", and he drank vodka during two hours she spent with him.
During that time chauffeur Martin Macaskill, 40, turned up - already concerned about his young lover - but got no answer when he phoned the chapel house and rang the doorbell.
The trial also heard that Father Gerry did not tell Miss McGowan about the meal with church helper Mary Avila, 50. Miss McGowan thought the priest was at a meeting.
"If I can remember, I knew he was meeting, as well, with a journalist about two asylum seekers and he also had a Deanery meeting," she said.
Defence QC Donald Findlay asked: "What was your understanding of what he had been doing that day that made him tired?"
Miss McGowan said: "He had had a busy day. Father Gerry is always busy."
Mr Findlay continued: "He lied to you." Miss McGowan agreed: "Yes."
Mr Findlay asked if "this myth, this lie" was just about having had a terrible day at a Deanery meeting."
Miss McGowan said she did not remember speaking about that, but she did remember how tired the priest was.
The court heard that in 2005 Miss McGowan had gone to a St Patrick's night mass in Father Gerry's church, instead of her usual church in Kirkintilloch. She liked the service and became a regular worshipper at the Anderston church.
She also became a close friend of Father Gerry, and he helped her when her father was found to be suffering from cancer.
She insisted that the relationship had been "no more than friendship".
Earlier the court heard from a charity volunteer that Peter Tobin - known to him at Pat McLaughlin - had seemed ill and tired on the day it is believed Angelika may have died.
Tobin had been seen earlier that day with the girl as she heped him paint a shed.
The court also saw photographs of the area under a floor hatch where the student's body was found four days later.
The trial continues.
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