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	Priest Who Admitted Affair with Tobin Murder Victim Angelika Kluk Is Found Dead Daily Record January 5, 2010 http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2010/01/05/priest-who-admitted-affair-with-tobin-murder-victim-angelika-kluk-is-found-dead-86908-21944941/ Scotland -- A SHAMED parish priest who committed contempt of court during serial killer Peter Tobin's first murder trial was found dead today. The body of Father Gerry Nugent, the former priest of the Glasgow church where student Angelika Kluk was murdered, was discovered by a housekeeper this morning. He was 66 and appeared to have suffered a heart attack. Fr Nugent was a key witness in the trial of Tobin, who was convicted and jailed for life in 2007 for raping and murdering Angelika. Tobin is also serving a life term for murdering 15-year-old Vicky Hamilton and was convicted last month of strangling 18-year-old Dinah McNicol. Detectives are trawling unsolved murder files to establish the full extent of his criminal past. Angelika's mutilated body was found in September 2006 under the floorboards of St Patrick's Catholic church in Glasgow. Fr Nugent was the priest at the church at the time of the killing. During the trial, he claimed to have had a sexual relationship with Angelika, a languages student who was working in Scotland and lived at the church's chapel house. The Dublin-born priest, who was asked to resign from his post at St Patrick's, said he felt "shame" and "disgust" with himself and admitted he had abused the position of trust he was in. The self-confessed alcoholic was also found guilty of contempt of court because he did not give straight answers in the witness box during the trial. Fr Nugent, who gave evidence over four days, changed his story during three separate phases of evidence. He was sentenced to 100 hours' community service and placed on probation for one year by judge Lord Menzies. The court heard he had problems with depression and alcohol. At the time, the Catholic Church issued an apology over the priest's behaviour. Mario Conti, the Archbishop of Glasgow, said he was "shocked and saddened" at the news. Archbishop Conti acknowledged today that Fr Nugent's ministry will always be connected to events surrounding Angelika's death but he praised the work carried out by the priest over his many years in the priesthood. In a statement, he said today: "I am shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden death of Fr Nugent. He wrote to me just before Christmas to let me know he was finding contentment in his retirement. "Though his ministry will be forever linked to the terrible events surrounding the death of Angelika Kluk and his own shortcomings which were laid bare at the time, it would be impossible to ignore the enormous compassion and pastoral care which marked his priesthood. "Perhaps his own vulnerability made him particularly attentive to the most vulnerable in our society: the homeless, those beset withaddictions and the rejected. "He was a kind and welcoming pastor for four decades in Glasgow and his loss will be mourned by many within and far beyond the Catholic community. "I express my sincere condolences to Fr Nugent's family in their loss." His body was discovered around 10.45am today by a housekeeper collecting washing at his home in Govan, where he had been staying in retirement. A post-mortem examination will be carried out but it is believed no suspicious circumstances surround Fr Nugent's death. No date for the funeral has been set.
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