Godfrey Ellis: Ex-treasurer who defrauded Shankill Parish Church, Lurgan by more than £700,000 is jailed

Ordering Godfrey Ellis to serve half that sentence in jail and half under licence, Judge Patrick McGurgen told the 54-year-old his offending and breach of trust is so serious he had to jail him “not just to punish but also to deter others”.

The Craigavon Crown Court judge told Ellis that although “you deny living in a lavish lifestyle, it was noted you had a holiday each year and in one case you'd booked Disneyland Florida, albeit I understand that was postponed.”

Quoting from a victim impact statement from Rev Mark Harvey, the judge highlighted “it is important to recognise that these are not crimes committed against a faceless institution, but rather against the same people with whom Mr Ellis shared Christian worship - ordinary people who gave their money faithfully and see it as their duty, and indeed their calling, to finance and support God's work to their local parish church”.

At an earlier hearing, Ellis, of Clanconnell Gardens, Waringstown, pleaded guilty to three of the four charges, namely two of fraud by abuse of position and one of forgery in that between July 26, 2011 and February 9, 2020, he abused his position of trust within Shankill Parish Church, Lurgan to transfer £643,637.31 from the church’s bank account to accounts under his control.

Ellis also admitted using parish funds of £102,313 to make payments on his credit cards and forging a cheque on February 9, 2020.

"The gravity of Godfrey Ellis’ crimes against the church could so easily have decimated our parish…The betrayal of trust is at the heart of everything for me,” quoted the judge.

During his sentencing remarks, Judge McGurgen outlined how Ellis took over an accountancy firm in 2005 and the following year he was appointed church treasurer.

"This was an unpaid position with very significant responsibility,” said the judge, adding that Ellis “was in charge of church finances, reporting to the vestry on a monthly basis”.

Initially, cheques had to be co-signed by either Rev Mark Harvey or vestry member Desmond Gregg but “with the arrival of online banking, the defendant had sole online access to the accounts”.

On February 11, 2020 Danske Bank contacted Mr Gregg about a cheque which had been made payable to Ellis’ company and he “confirmed that he had not signed that cheque”.

"A number of other checks were produced to the same effect,” said the judge, adding that when Rev Harvey was shown a cheque for £15,000, “he confirmed that the signature was his, but he did not recognise the payee”.

"At a meeting with Danske Bank it became clear that the parish’s accounts had been, in the words of Rev Harvey, cleared out,” Judge McGurgen told the court.

Judge McGurgen said while the prosecution accept Ellis used parish funds to keep his accountancy business afloat, they also highlight this was a prolonged and systematic abuse of trust carried out by a professional on his own church, his parish and fellow parishioners.

Jailing Ellis and postponing confiscation proceedings, Judge McGurgen said it was clear his actions “have had a financial, reputational and emotional impact on the church.”