Church mugger is jailed for four years; Robber attacked man as he prayed.

Byline: Neil McKay

APENSIONER who was mugged as he prayed in church has seen his attacker jailed.

Devout pensioner Terry Finlay should have been safe in the house of God as he knelt in prayer as he does most days.

Mr Finlay, 71, would not have been concerned when he heard somebody else enter the church and sit in the pew behind him in St Bede's Roman Catholic Church, Sacriston, near Durham, no doubt believing it to be another worshipper.

But instead of entering the church to pray, violent robber Clive Morrison was after money.

And he coshed Mr Finlay on the head as he knelt before the altar before stealing his wallet, containing between pounds 140 and pounds 180.

Last night Morrison, 45, was beginning a four-year jail sentence for what a judge described as a "despicable" robbery. Mark Guilliani, prosecuting, said Morrison, of no fixed abode but from the Swalwell area of Gateshead, would "prey on the kindness of Roman Catholic priests in churches, looking for aid and for food".

Judge Richard Lowden told him: "I haven't heard a more despicable an offence than to rob a 71-year-old man at prayer in his church."

The judge said he would have sentenced Morrison to six years, but had reduced the term to four years because of his early guilty plea to robbery.

Even Morrison's barrister, Caroline Goodwin, ad-mitteshe could say "very little" in mitigation, simply saying: "He has shown absolute remorse for what he has done."

Mr Finlay suffered bruising and swelling to his head but, fortunately, was not seriously hurt.

Father Jim Cronin, the priest at the church, on Front Street, said he was "horrified" by the robbery. He said Mr Finlay is a regular churchgoer and a devout Catholic.

"He worships here every day," Father Cronin explained.

"He comes early, before mass, and is usually left in peace to pray on his own.

"He seems much better and fortunately has not suffered too much long-term trauma. I think it is also partly because he is not an antagonistic kind of man. He is very positive, and is trying to carry on as before."

Fr Cronin added: "This was a terrible attack. I have been in the church for 50 years, and I have never heard of anything like this.

"It is shocking to think someone would do this, especially in a church."

The priest said: "Terry came to me after the attack, I was in the priest's house next door. He was holding the piece of wood, it was almost like a chair leg.

"I didn't realise anything was wrong until I saw the bumps on the back of his head."

CAPTION(S):

ATTACK Father Jim Cronin of St Bede''s Catholic Church in Sacriston, where a man was assaulted and robbed while praying. Below, the church.