BishopAccountability.org
 
  Shame of Catholic Man Who Wrecked Jesus Statue

By John Scheerhout
Manchester Evening News
July 7, 2010

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/crime/s/1290977_shame_of_catholic_man_who_wrecked_jesus_statue

Janusz Sloser

A Catholic man snapped the arms and legs from a statue of Jesus outside a church – then launched into a tirade of abuse when he was arrested.

Janusz Sloser vandalised the statue on the crucifix outside St Herbert’s Roman Catholic Church, in Chadderton, Oldham.

When the unemployed Polish welder was stopped by police, he swore and made racist comments to the officer.

He was arrested but went on to make derogatory comments about the church being Jewish.

Sloser, 55, of Mount Road, Gorton, pleaded guilty to racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage when he appeared before Oldham magistrates.

Shazia Aslam, prosecuting, told the court how a woman spotted a drunk Sloser staggering along Broadway in Chadderton at around 6.30pm on June 13.

Ms Aslam said the witness crossed the road as she felt ‘uneasy’ when Sloser looked at her.

The witness saw him climb the church wall and pull the arms and legs from the statue.

He caused damage worth ?150.

Tim Hughes, defending, said his client was an ‘active Catholic’.

Sloser could not recall or explain his comments to police when he was arrested.

Mr Hughes said: “He comes from a town on the German-Poland border which, according to Mr Sloser, has a large Jewish population and he has many friends who are Jewish.”

Sloser had been drinking cider and taking ‘paracetamol-style’ tablets given to him by a friend.

Mr Hughes said his client may have been affected by a conversation he had with a friend earlier in the evening.

The friend told Sloser how the friend’s son of 16 had been abused by a Catholic priest.

Mr Hughes said: “He’s deeply apologetic and deeply ashamed. He’s a religious man which makes it all the more odd he’s behaved in this way.”

Chairman of the bench Paul Smithies said: “We feel an aggravating factor was the desecration and destruction of church property while under the influence of drink.”

He adjourned the case for reports, telling the defendant the magistrates were not considering a prison sentence.

 
 

Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.