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Man who went to Mass in Carnlough armed with Stanley knife is jailed

Seamus Peter Murdock
Seamus Peter Murdock Seamus Peter Murdock

A MAN consumed by "demons" from his childhood decided to "challenge a member of the Catholic Church" before going to Mass armed with a Stanley Knife where he left a priest terrified, a court heard.

Seamus Peter Murdock (41), of Whitehill Road, Carnlough, appeared at Ballymena Magistrates Court on Thursday where he admitted possessing the knife and a second charge of common assault on Fr Dermot McKay, and was jailed for two months.

Charges of making a threat to kill the priest and possessing an offensive weapon with intent to commit murder, were withdrawn.

Jailing Murdock, District Judge Peter King said it must have been a "terrifying" situation for Fr McKay and said the court had to send out a strong message that "priests in the sanctity of their own churches need to be protected".

Despite being jailed, Murdock was due to walk free from court on Thursday because he had already served the equivalent time on remand.

A prosecutor said at 11.45am on Sunday April 30 this year, Fr McKay was celebrating Mass at St John the Evangelist Church in Carnlough and noticed a person he did not know who appeared to be asleep in a pew.

When Mass finished the priest entered a vestry and noticed the man was in possession of a knife.

Murdock then entered the vestry and spoke to the priest and made a threat to him while holding a knife in his hand causing Fr McKay to fear for his safety, the prosecutor added.

After a "stand-off" the priest was uninjured and Murdock then left and when police were called they recovered the knife.

Defence barrister Stephen Law said the defendant, who was hand-cuffed in the dock, "unreservedly apologises".

Mr Law said the incident was borne out of a "tragic background" coupled with Murdock's mental health difficulties.

The barrister said that whilst the behaviour could not in any way be "explained or condoned," his client, as a young child, was "physically, mentally and emotionally traumatised by members of the Catholic Church".

Mr Law said his client had appeared before the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry in Banbridge in recent years.

He said Murdock took a "cocktail" of anti-psychotic medication and alcohol at his home before the church incident.

"He was thinking morbid thoughts of his past, he decided he should challenge a member of the Catholic Church in the manner which he did," said Mr Law.

He added it was a "very alarming incident" and "but for the Grace of God the priest was not injured".

The defence lawyer said the "terrible trauma" Murdock "had to endure" throughout his life was "too distressing to go in to detail".

Mr Law said Murdock, who had spent five weeks on remand in prison, wished to say sorry adding that his client likes to "express his pain through art".

Sentencing Murdock, Judge King said he had a lack of a relevant record but he was concerned that the defendant's "demons" were still there.

He said a report showed the defendant had a traumatic past and his testimony at the Banbridge inquiry was there for all to see.

Judge King added: "This must have been a terrifying situation that the priest found himself in. The court has to put out a strong message that priests, in the sanctity of their own churches, need to be protected".