A vicar has been convicted of stealing £200 from his church’s Sunday collections after being caught on CCTV taking the money for himself.
Father Fortunato Pantisano resisted the charge, but was so unconvincing on the witness stand that the magistrates said his testimony supported the prosecution against him.
The Italian-born priest, who was ordained as a priest at Westminster Cathedral in 2013, served at Our Lady of Perpetual Help church in Tynemouth Street, Fulham.
The 44-year-old was found guilty at a London court of stealing the money, which was never returned, after the second mass of the day on January 7.
Father Pantisano, who had to move into accommodation at St Edward’s Convent, Harewood Avenue, Marylebone, was bailed until September 17 for a pre-sentence report.
During the trial he was reported to police by parish volunteer John McGranaghan, who had placed the two wicker baskets in a locked office, which was also accessible from the priest’s home.
Father Fortunato Pantisano (pictured arriving at court) opposed the charge but was so unconvincing in the witness box that magistrates said his evidence helped the prosecution
Father Pantisano was ordained a priest at Westminster Cathedral in 2013 – he is pictured speaking in church
Pantisano pictured arriving at the City of London Magistrates Court
“This was the parishioners’ collection for the two masses that morning,” he told the trial. “We went back to count the offering and there were two empty baskets and the collection was gone.”
He suggested that money from the church collection had recently gone missing. ‘Because of what had happened in the past few weeks, I decided to go back that day and count the money.’
Fortunately, CCTV footage in the office showed Father Pantisano entering through an adjacent door, taking the two baskets of money from the room and then returning them empty.
Robert Walker, chief executive of the diocese of Westminster, told the court that there are strict rules on how money is collected and that individual priests cannot simply claim the money themselves.
“Basically I see the money going from one hand to another and it’s being taken without permission,” he said over the CCTV, taking individual notes from the baskets and leaving with the cash.
“There’s no reason why he would be there at that time, especially since he was suspended.”
During the trial he was reported to police by parish volunteer John McGranaghan (pictured)
The Italian-born priest pictured arriving at the City of London court
Father Pantisano was arrested on April 30 and gave an interview without comment at Hammersmith police station.
He told the trial that he had not been suspended and that he had a right to be in the office, but he could not remember whether he had taken any money from the collection.
‘I don’t remember taking any money. If I did, it wasn’t to be dishonest, it might have been to buy food, I don’t remember.
‘Sometimes there are emergency situations, for example when the homeless need money or charity, or when priests need to buy food.’
Prosecutor Nathan Paine-Davey asked the priest: ‘It’s not credible to say you don’t remember taking the money, is it? It’s what brought you here today.
“You entered that office by unlocking the door from your side and took that money. That’s the truth, right?”
Father Pantisano replied, “I am the parish priest and I have the right to be there. The money is given so that the priests can decide what to do.
“I deny that I stole anything and have no further comment on the matter.”
Fortunato Pantisano pictured with his lawyer Nina Reinach outside court
Mr Paine-Davey told magistrates: ‘The defendant cannot tell you why he had his hands in the baskets and removed them from view. That is not credible.
‘The purpose of removing the baskets was to steal money, out of sight of the security cameras, and only today are we hearing this vague, incoherent story of what happened.
‘You can’t just put your hand in a collection box. That’s unfair.’
Father Pantisano’s lawyer, Nina Reinach, said: ‘To be found guilty of this offence would be incredibly serious. This is a man of good character who has never been in trouble and that should be held against him.’
Stuart McCaighy, chairing the court, found him guilty, telling the priest: ‘You took money and envelopes full of money from the wicker baskets into a room which was out of view of the CCTV cameras.
‘You took money from those baskets and you couldn’t give us any reason why you were in the office or any credible explanation as to why you took the money.
‘You gave no reason for handling the money or any examples of why the £200 was missing. Your lack of credibility strengthened the case against you.
“We are certain that you have dishonestly appropriated this money. The court finds you guilty of this offence.”
In his impact statement, Mr Walker said: ‘This has created an incredible amount of distrust between the church and its parishioners. It only takes one person to do something wrong to ruin the reputation of the rest.’
Mr Paine-Davey added: ‘It is clear that this defendant holds a position of trust within the church community. That is an aggravating factor as far as sentencing is concerned.’
