Gay mafia row priest booby-trapped house: Bishop tells sheriff device was left to dump liquid or powder on anyone opening door

SCOTLAND
Daily Record

Aug 14, 2014 By Stuart Macdonald

BISHOP Joseph Toal told a court that Father Matthew Despard rigged up a device to shower “liquid or powder” on anyone who opened one of the doors.

A CATHOLIC bishop yesterday accused a rebel priest of booby-trapping a church house.

Bishop Joseph Toal told a court that Father Matthew Despard rigged up a device to shower “liquid or powder” on anyone who opened one of the doors.

It’s the latest bizarre twist in the long battle between Despard and Toal over a book the priest wrote alleging that a gay mafia were operating at the top of the Church.

Bishop of Motherwell Toal removed Despard from his parish last year over the book and ordered him to get out of the parish house. But Despard refused to leave and Toal is taking court action to evict him.

Toal told Hamilton Sheriff Court that the booby trap was found in January by the priest he appointed to replace Despard at St John Ogilvie church in High Blantyre, Lanarkshire.

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