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Contempt penalty for Kluk priest

The priest involved in the Angelika Kluk murder trial has been sentenced to 100 hours community service after being found guilty of contempt of court.

Father Gerry Nugent, 63, was repeatedly warned by High Court judge Lord Menzies about "prevaricating" when questioned.

Passing sentence on Nugent on Tuesday, the judge also placed him on probation for a year.

He was found in contempt of court while being questioned by defence lawyer Donald Findlay during the six-week trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Lord Menzies told the priest, who was dressed in a suit, that he would normally have imposed a jail sentence for such an offence.

However, he took into account the priest's "outstanding history" of helping others and various reports which had been placed before him.

Lord Menzies said: "Prevarication and hence contempt of court is something which courts cannot tolerate if our system of justice is to be properly administered.

"You were found to be in contempt of court by prevarication in a very important trial - a trial which could hardly have had a higher profile and a trial which could hardly have been more important, involving as it did a charge of murder and rape of a young woman who was staying in your own chapel house."

Full story at BBC Scotland News.