Man jailed for church attack (From The Advertiser Series)

Man jailed for church attack

10:18am Friday 28th August 2009

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A MAN who attacked and robbed a pensioner as he was kneeling at prayer has been jailed.

Clive Morrison attacked the 71-year-old man from behind in St Bede’s Roman Catholic Church, in Sacriston, in June, hitting him across the back of the head with a piece of wood and demanding money.

The man, who Morrison had befriended, was left bleeding, with a bruised and swollen head. Morrison stole between £140 and £180 in cash, escaping through a side door in the church.

The victim went to the presbytery and reported the attack to a priest, who contacted a churchwarden before noticing bumps on the pensioner’s head and calling an ambulance.

At Durham Crown Court last week, Morrison pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery.

The court heard the 45- year-old had a history of befriending priests in other churches.

Mark Giuliani, prosecuting, said Morrison “preyed on the aid of the church to provide him with food”.

Caroline Goodwin, for Morrison, said her client had made a full admission, entered an early guilty plea and shown absolute remorse for the offence.

She said although her mitigation might be the shortest she had ever made to the judge, Richard Lowden, the honorary judicial recorder of Durham, she asked for as short a prison sentence for her client as possible.

Judge Lowden told Morrison: “I don’t know how more despicable an offence can be then to rob a 71-year-old man while he’s at prayer in his church.

“You’re clearly someone who goes in and out of prison and commits serious offences when you’re out.”

Morrison, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to four years in prison, 67 days of which he has already served.

The incident happened at about 8.30am on June 4.

It caused shock and anger in the community and police launched a high-profile public appeal to help catch the attacker.

Morrison was arrested in Swalwell, nine days later.

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