A 60-year-old man from Dromore has been sentenced to two years in prison, with one year to be served in custody and one on licence, after defrauding a church in Lisburn of more than £400,000.

Thomas Ernest Reddick, known as Ernest, was sentenced at Craigavon Crown Court yesterday, Thursday 1st May. He had previously pleaded guilty to 12 counts of fraud by false representation and one count of false accounting.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland's Criminal Investigations Department conducted a complex investigation into Reddick's actions.

Detective Inspector McCartan explained how the fraud came to light. "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," he said. "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."

The investigation established the total loss to the church amounted to over £410,000.

Detective Inspector McCartan added: "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."

He concluded by urging anyone who suspects they may have been a victim of a similar crime to contact the police. "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.