Priest disarms ‘poor box’ thief

A court heard at the weekend how a Dublin priest managed to disarm a potential thief who threatened him with a syringe when he confronted him stealing from a church poor box.

Fr William Fitzpatrick, parish priest of Mary Immaculate Oblate parish in Inchicore, challenged Mark Pierce for taking €20 from a donations box in the church using a glue-covered wire on August 6.

He is accused of then threatening the priest with a needle, but Fr Fitzpatrick managed to disarm him and, with the help of a parish worker, hold him at the scene until the gardai arrived.

Remand

Mr Pierce was remanded in custody at Dublin District Court after no bail application was made by his lawyer, and Judge Michael Walsh adjourned the case awaiting directions from the DPP.

He is being charged with theft and threatening to injure Fr Fitzpatrick under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person and Theft and Fraud Acts.