Shamed priest placed on sex offenders register
A priest who was convicted of sexually abusing four girls has been sentenced to 250 hours of unpaid work and put under supervision for three years.
Father Neil McGarrity, 58, targeted his victims at two churches in Glasgow as well as his parish home in the city.
The charges span from December 2017 and February 2020 with the girls’ ages ranging between 10 to 16.
At his sentencing, McGarrity was also tagged for nine months, keeping him indoors between 19:00 and 07:00.
And he was placed on the sex offenders register for five years.
McGarrity was earlier found guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court of four sexual assaults and one charge of engaging in sexual activity.
At his trial, Sheriff Vincent Lunny said the Roman Catholic priest carried out “touching of a sexual nature”.
It heard from a girl who said she was repeatedly hugged by McGarrity when she was aged 10 or 11 at St Thomas’ Church in the city’s Riddrie.
‘Prolonged embrace’
A second girl told the court that she had to phone Childline about McGarrity not long after meeting him.
She said: “It was that he was being really close and I was getting someone else’s view if it was normal.”
The girl claimed McGarrity put his hand around her and rubbed her waist.
She added that the priest also held her hand and played footsie under the table.
A third girl told the court McGarrity played with her hair and touched her face when she was 13.
She said: “He always thought he knew about me and I felt weird.
“When I was at church he used to look at me and I felt uncomfortable.”
The incidents took place at St Bernadette’s Church as well as St Thomas’.
A 25-year-old woman said she spotted the priest and her younger sister in a “prolonged embrace” at his parish home.
McGarrity told the court in his evidence that he was “stunned” to hear of the allegations.
A statement issued by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Glasgow said Father McGarrity broke the trust that people bestowed on priests.
It said: “It is our hope that the sentencing will mark an important moment in the process of healing for the young women whose courage in coming forward led to the conviction.
“We repeat our apology to the victims and renew apologies previously made for the abuse suffered by anyone in the care of those ministering or working on behalf of the church.”
The statement said that the archdiocese reported the allegations to the police and co-operated fully throughout the investigation.
It said McGarrity suspension remained in force and the church would now continue its own “canonical process”.
