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	Priest Shamed in Peter Tobin Murder Case Dies at 66 By Craig Brown Scotsman January 6, 2010 http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Priest-shamed-in-Tobin-murder.5958165.jp A SHAMED parish priest whose reputation was ruined during serial killer Peter Tobin's first murder trial has been found dead. The body of Father Gerry Nugent, the former priest of St Patrick's RC Church in Anderston, Glasgow, was found at his home in Govan yesterday morning by the occasional housekeeper who dropped by to collect washing. According to a spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland, the 66-year-old appeared to have suffered a heart attack. Fr Nugent came to prominence in October 2006 during the hunt for the killer of the Polish student Angelika Kluk. The 23-year-old had spent working holidays as a cleaner at St Patrick's, living in the church's chapel house. Peter Tobin, who had been hired by the church under the alias Pat McLaughlin, had worked as a handyman and was the last person to be seen with Ms Kluk. Though living in a Paisley tenement, Tobin had told Fr Nugent and other church members that he was homeless. Ms Kluk's mutilated body was later found under a trapdoor next to the church's confessional box. During the Tobin's murder trial in 2007, the priest's reputation was left in shreds when he admitted conducting a sexual affair with Angelika. The court was also told that he had problems with depression and alcohol. The Dublin-born priest said he had felt "shame" and "disgust" with himself and admitted he had abused the position of trust he was in. His performance as a witness – he changed his story during three separate phases of evidence – also resulted in him being convicted of contempt of court. He was sentenced to 100 hours' community service and put on probation for one year by judge Lord Menzies. At the time, the Catholic Church issued an apology over the priest's behaviour and Fr Nugent was asked to resign. He retired in 2007 after 40 years of service in the priesthood. Mario Conti, the Archbishop of Glasgow, said he was "shocked and saddened" at the news. Archbishop Conti acknowledged that Fr Nugent's ministry would always be connected to events surrounding Miss Kluk's death, but he praised the work carried out by the priest over his many years in the priesthood. In a statement, he said: "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 with addictions 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." The archbishop added: "I express my sincere condolences to Fr Nugent's family in their loss." As Fr Nugent had no major previous health problems, a post-mortem examination will be carried out, but there appear to be no suspicious circumstances. A funeral date has yet to be set.
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