A 60-year-old man from Dromore has been sentenced to two years in prison—one year in custody and one on licence—after defrauding a Lisburn church of over £410,000.
Thomas Ernest Reddick, known as Ernest, was sentenced at Craigavon Crown Court on Thursday, May 1, following guilty pleas to 12 counts of fraud by false representation and one count of false accounting.
The conviction followed a complex investigation by the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Criminal Investigations Department.
Detective Inspector McCartan explained how the fraud came to light in November 2021, when a local pastor reported that a trusted church member had admitted to taking money from church bank accounts. That individual was identified as Ernest Reddick, who had served as church treasurer since 2012.
“Reddick, an accountant, used his position of trust to carry out a decade-long deception, manipulating financial records to cover his tracks,” said DI McCartan.
Investigators found that Reddick used the stolen funds—donations from churchgoers—to support his own accountancy business. While he eventually repaid the money in full, authorities stressed the serious breach of trust.
“Donations from hard-working members of the congregation were misused,” DI McCartan said. “Though Reddick paid the money back, the emotional and spiritual damage cannot be overlooked.”
The police encouraged anyone who suspects similar fraud to report it. “We will listen to you and take your concerns seriously,” added McCartan.
