Chorley funeral directors 'devastated and disgusted' by 'appalling' actions of former employee

A Chorley funeral directors has spoken of its ‘devastation’ after a former employee stole a treasured gold ring from a dead priest's finger, leaving his family unable to fulfil his dying wish.

B Livesey Funeral Directors has issued a lengthy statement following the conviction of former employee Nicholas Mather, who admitted stealing an 18-carat gold priesthood ring from the hand of the late Father Peter Crowther.

The company said its team had been left devastated by the theft and described it as one of the most appalling breaches of trust imaginable.

They also revealed how they immediately contacted Father Crowther's family and reported the matter to police as soon as they discovered the ring was missing.

Mather, 34, was working for the funeral directors when he prised the ring from Father Crowther's hand on March 8. The ring had been bought for Father Crowther by his parents in Rome when he was ordained in 1971. His dying wish was to be buried wearing it.

But Mather melted down the treasured item, valued at between £3,000 and £3,500, before selling it to a pawnbroker, meaning it could never be recovered. The funeral directors also discovered he had stolen a Rolls-Royce key box ring.

Preston Magistrates' Court heard Mather received £1,370 for the two stolen items and spent the money on his drug habit. The 34-year-old, of Willow Close, Chorley, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft.

He was given a community order, ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work and pay a total of £6,500 in compensation. Magistrates described it as the worst theft case they had heard in their court, given the emotional impact on those affected.

Lancashire Police said they are unable to release a custody picture of Mather because he didn't receive an immediate/suspended custodial sentence.

'Our trust has been completely betrayed'

In a statement following Mather’s conviction, B Livesey Funeral Directors said: "The recent actions of a former employee have left the team devastated.

"As soon as we became aware that a ring belonging to a deceased person was missing, we immediately contacted the family to inform them and then reported the matter to the police without delay.

"From that moment onwards, as a company we have fully supported the police investigation, provided witness statements and assisted in every way possible throughout the process to bring the person responsible to justice."

The company said Mather had only worked for it for a short period and had been extremely eager to join the team, contacting it on numerous occasions in pursuit of the role.

It said he had presented himself as caring, respectful and committed, and had spoken about his religious background, including serving as an altar server at a local Catholic church.

The statement continued: "Like any employer, we placed our trust in someone who presented themselves as caring, respectful and committed.

"He also spoke on many occasions of his religious background serving as an altar server at local Catholic church, which gave every impression that he understood the dignity, respect and compassion required in our profession.

"That trust has been completely betrayed."

The funeral directors also revealed that Mather went on to work for another local funeral director after leaving the business.

It said it felt a moral responsibility and professional duty to arrange a meeting with the owner of that company to make them aware of what had happened.

"Our only intention was to try and prevent this happening again and to protect the community we both serve," it said.

"Sadly, despite those efforts, the events that have now come to light demonstrate just how important it is to act when serious concerns arise."

'One of the most appalling breaches of trust'

The company said the actions of one individual did not reflect its values or the dedicated people working within it.

It said: "To steal from someone who has passed away is, in my view, one of the most appalling breaches of trust imaginable and I am disgusted and deeply saddened that someone employed by our company has abused their position in this way.

"Jewellery holds such a precious and deeply sentimental value.

"The fact that we have been unable to fulfil the final wish of a deceased has been one of the most difficult and distressing aspects for us to come to terms with.

"What makes this particularly painful is that this situation arose as a direct consequence of the actions of Nicholas Mather."

The funeral directors said the incident had taken a significant emotional toll on its staff and described it as the most difficult experience of its entire career.

It added: "Since this came to light, our priority has been to assist the police in every way possible, and support my staff, who have also been deeply affected.

"In our many years in this profession, we have never had to deal with such an incident and it has been the most difficult part of our entire career."

The company thanked Lancashire Constabulary for its professionalism, dedication and commitment to the investigation.

It also praised its staff for continuing to provide care and support to bereaved families despite the circumstances.

"The work of caring for bereaved families is emotionally demanding at the best of times, and having such a dark cloud hanging over our team has made it even more difficult.

"Despite this, they have continued to provide the highest standard of care to every family we have had the privilege of serving."

Funeral directors thank public for support

B Livesey Funeral Directors also expressed concern about the potential impact of the case on its reputation but said it had a duty to ensure Mather was held accountable.

It said: "Naturally, we are concerned that the actions of one individual could have a lasting impact on the company's reputation.

"Nevertheless, we could not stand by and allow Nicholas' actions to go unchallenged.

"We felt it was necessary to address what had happened and hold him accountable for his crimes.

"We hope our community will recognise that we acted immediately, honestly and transparently. We raised the alarm as soon as the theft was discovered, informed the family without hesitation, and fully supported the police investigation from beginning to end.

"We have had nothing to hide and have remained committed to doing the right thing throughout."

The company also thanked members of the public who had contacted it with messages of support.

A further statement said: "We would like to thank everyone who has reached out with messages of support, kindness and encouragement.

"We have always believed in the importance of honesty, integrity and doing what is right. Throughout this process, our priority was to ensure that the matter was brought before the courts and that justice could take its course.

"We understand that situations like this can be difficult, but we remain committed to standing by our values and doing the right thing, even when it is not easy.

"Thanks again for your continued support."

The funeral directors described the past year as one of the most emotionally exhausting and heartbreaking periods the company had ever endured.

It said one question continued to haunt the team: how someone could carry out an act it described as so "despicable, cruel and utterly heartbreaking".

The company also expressed its disappointment with the sentence, saying it did not believe it reflected the severity of what had happened or the devastating impact on those left to live with the consequences.

Family's anger at theft

In an impact statement to the court, Father Crowther's next of kin, Kinga Gray-Grzecynska, described Mather's actions as "utterly despicable".

She said: "I feel deeply upset, angry and bewildered that anyone, particularly a member of staff entrusted with the care of the deceased, would steal from a dead body in a mortuary, and especially from a priest.

"This behaviour is utterly despicable, disgraceful and morally wrong.

"To steal from a Catholic priest who dedicated 55 years of his life to serving God and helping thousands of people is an appalling betrayal of the trust placed in those responsible for providing a dignified and respectful funeral."

Detective Constable Paul Whitaker, of Lancashire Constabulary, said: "Not only did he steal a ring from the body of a priest, but he denied Fr Peter his dying wish.

"Mather breached the trust of those who turned to them whilst they were grieving."