A MAN IMPERSONATING a monk has allegedly stolen thousands of pounds from a monastery in Antrim, the Belfast High Court has heard.

UTV reports that prosecutors accused 27-year-old Francesco Ferro of raiding Our Lady of Bethlehem Abbey in Portglenone after moving in earlier this year.

The court heard that the Romanian national is fluent in five languages and is currently under investigation in connection with other alleged thefts in Switzerland and Germany. Ferro was said to have used several different aliases as he travelled throughout Europe.

Ferro faces charges of burglary, converting criminal property and multiple counts of fraud by false representation.

The court heard that Ferro arrived at the monastery where monks had been expecting the arrival of a Brazilian Benedictine monk. He had one bag and a monastic habit with him, and fell into the monastery’s daily routine.

However, he was detained by police after they were called to investigate the theft of £500 and the disappearance of £8,500 from a 94-year-old monk’s room, RTÉ reports. The money had allegedly been given by a parishioner for safekeeping.

Unauthorised transactions amounting to £2,000 made on the monastery’s credit card were also discovered by detectives.

A defence lawyer said Ferro intended to plead guilty to most of the charges but would be contesting the alleged £8,500 theft.

The prosecution opposed Ferro’s application for bail, claiming that the case involved “a serious and significant breach of trust”.

Crown lawyer Conor Maguire said:

There is certainly shown here a propensity for this applicant to abuse what could be described as vulnerable individuals to fund his lifestyle.

His bail application was adjourned.