SCOTLAND
Herald Scotland
Thursday 14 August 2014
A Bishop has claimed a priest at the centre of a row with the Catholic Church booby-trapped his parish house.
Father Matthew Despard refused to leave his home at St John Ogilvie in High Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, despite being ordered out by the Bishop of Motherwell, Joseph Toal.
He had been suspended by senior church figures after writing a controversial book alleging a gay mafia was operating in the Catholic clergy.
Bishop Toal ordered Fr Despard to leave the house in November 2013 after disciplinary measures were taken against him, but the priest refused to comply.
The Church took legal action against him and yesterday a civil hearing at Hamilton Sheriff Court heard Bishop Toal allege a hidden device that let out liquid had been placed near a door in the property.
Father William Nolan was appointed to replace Fr Despard at the parish, and it was claimed he discovered the device in January this year.
Bishop Toal said: “My memory is that there was some door that once you got it open, some sort of liquid or powder would come down on the person who opened it.
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