Priest avoids jail after stealing money from own church’s donation pot

Fortunato Pantisano took around £200 cash from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Fulham, west London, on January 7.

The priest took two plates of money that had been donated, a court heard (Alamy/PA)

A priest has avoided jail after he was caught on CCTV stealing money from his own church’s donation pot.

Fortunato Pantisano, 44, took around £200 cash from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Fulham, west London, on January 7.

The defendant was identified on CCTV footage entering an office at the church at around 12.20pm before he took two plates of money that had been donated, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.

He had been suspended from service at the time of the offence.

Pantisano, originally from Calabria, Italy, had been a priest at the church for 10 years and was previously of good character, the court heard.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to a charge of theft by an employee in June but was convicted of the offence following a trial Westminster Magistrates’ Court last month.

Pantisano, of Harewood Avenue in Westminster, was sentenced to 20 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for two years at the same court on Tuesday.

District judge Daniel Sternberg also ordered the defendant to pay £200 compensation, a victim surcharge of £154 and further costs of £654.

The defendant appeared in court wearing a dark jacket and trousers and spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address during the sentencing.

Mr Sternberg said the offence was of “high culpability” due to the trust and responsibility placed in the defendant by the church.

Pantisano continued to deny having committed the offence in a pre-sentence report, the judge said.

He added it was likely Pantisano would not be able to practise as a Catholic church priest again.

The judge said a suspended sentence was appropriate given the defendant had no previous convictions, presented no real risk to the public and had a “strong prospect of rehabilitation”.