A 60-year-old man was sentenced at Craigavon Crown Court today, Thursday 1st May, for defrauding a church in Lisburn of over £400,000 .

Thomas Ernest Reddick, known as Ernest, from Dromore, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of fraud by false representation and one of false accounting at an earlier hearing.

Today, he was sentenced to two years, one year of which is to be served in custody, and one on licence.

The complex investigation into Reddick’s offending was led by the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Criminal Investigations Department.

Detective Inspector McCartan said: "We were contacted by a pastor in November 2021 who reported that a member of his congregation, who had been acting as treasurer for the church since 2012, had admitted to taking money from the church bank accounts and making false accounts to disguise the fact that he had taken the money. The member of the congregation, later confirmed as Ernest Reddick, was an accountant and had used his position of trust to create a web of false transactions.

“After a long and detailed investigation, it was established that the total amount lost to the church was more than £410,000."

Detective Inspector McCartan continued: “Donations from the congregation, hard-working people, were used to prop up Reddick’s accountancy business. Reddick later paid back the money in full; however we should not underestimate the impact of his offending on those who put their faith in him.”

Detective Inspector McCartan concluded: “We would encourage the public to come forward if they believe that they may have been the victim of a similar crime. We will listen to you and take your concerns seriously.”

A report can be made by calling the non-emergency number 101, or online at psni.police.uk/report.