I'm ashamed I had sex with girl, Catholic priest tells murder trial
Pastor Dale Morgan
I'm ashamed I had sex with girl, Catholic priest tells murder trial*
By Auslan Cramb, Scottish Correspondent
Last Updated: 1:01pm BST 04/04/2007
A Roman Catholic priest told a hushed courtroom yesterday that he was
ashamed and disgusted with himself after he had sex with a young Polish
student whose body was found in his church.
Angelika Kluk, 23
Miss Kluk admired Father Nugent's church services
Father Gerard Nugent, 63, also admitted that he was an alcoholic. He
said that Angelika Kluk, 23, admired his church services and they often
talked and had "intellectual discussions".
The court heard earlier that he first met her in 2005, and that he gave
her free accommodation in a room at the chapel house of St Patrick's
Church in Glasgow.
Fr Nugent was giving evidence in the High Court in Edinburgh at the
trial of Peter Tobin, 60, the church handyman, who denies raping and
killing Miss Kluk and hiding her body under the floor of the church.
Asked by Dorothy Bain, prosecuting, if he had a sexual relationship with
the student, he replied in a whisper: "Yes." He said the "sexual
intimacy" between them happened about three or four times in August or
September 2005.
He added: "I felt guilty and I felt ashamed and disgusted with myself. I
knew I was wrong and I wanted to make it right."
He said that he was not in love with Miss Kluk, but agreed that because
she was living under his roof he had betrayed a position of trust.
Fr Nugent was told that Miss Kluk's sister Aneta, 28, and the student's
married lover, Martin Macaskill, 40, both thought that his claim of a
sexual relationship was untrue.
He replied: "Sadly, it is true." The priest added: "I take full
responsibility. Angela is not here to give her side. I knew it was
wrong, I knew I was doing wrong but I was guilty. I felt terrible. I
knew it had to stop so that part of the relationship stopped.
"I still had the same feelings for her in terms of the admiration."
The court also heard that he bought Miss Kluk an expensive laptop
computer, costing around £1,500, gave her access to his credit card and
helped pay for a flight to Poland. He said he resigned as a parish
priest two weeks ago, after being asked to do so by the archdiocese of
Glasgow.
Fr Nugent also told the court that around 10 years ago he learned
through Alcoholics Anonymous that he was suffering from the "illness" of
alcoholism. However, he said he was not drinking at the time of his
affair with Miss Kluk.
Asked to recall events last September, when Miss Kluk is alleged to have
been murdered, he said that he saw her in the garage of the chapel house
with Tobin on the 24th.
Tobin, who was known to the priest as Pat McLaughlin, was building a
shed and Miss Kluk was helping him to paint it.
He added: "About 2.30pm that afternoon I popped into the garage and saw
Pat and Angela there. At this time Pat said to me that he was getting
great help from his apprentice."
He said Tobin and Miss Kluk sometimes worked together in the garden,
adding: "As far as I could see that was the relationship, working
together, chatting, blathering, stopping and having a cup of tea I presume."
He said he was not aware of any sexual relationship between them.
Peter Tobin, 60, is charged with the murder of Angelica Kluk#
Peter Tobin denies all the charges against him
The murder charge alleges that Tobin attacked Miss Kluk between Sept 24
and Sept 29 in St Patrick's Church, or elsewhere, gagging her with cloth
and tape, tying her hands, raping her, battering her with a piece of
wood or something similar, and repeatedly stabbing her with a knife.
It is alleged that he then hid the body under the floor of the church in
an attempt to defeat the ends of justice.
In a "special defence" read to the jury Tobin admits having sex with the
Polish student with her consent.
A further charge alleges that he told Glasgow police his name was
Patrick McLaughlin, gave a false date of birth and address, and that he
travelled to London and gave staff at the National Neurology and
Neurosurgery Hospital in Queen's Square, London, another false name.
Tobin denies all the charges against him.