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02 Apr 2026

Suspended sentence for man who stolen charity box from Derry church

Andrew McFadden (29) of no fixed abode admitted a series of offences including the theft of the charity box containing £50 from the Holy Family church on March 28, disorderly behaviour in John Street on March 31and criminal damage to a police cell van on the same date

Suspended sentence for man who stolen charity box from Derry church

Holy Family church

Reporter:

Court Reporter

02 Apr 2026 3:33 PM

Email:

news@derrynow.com

A man has been given a suspended sentence at Derry Magistrates' Court today for the theft of a charity box from a chapel in the city.
Andrew McFadden (29) of no fixed abode admitted a series of offences including the theft of the charity box containing £50 from the Holy Family church on March 28, disorderly behaviour in John Street on March 31and criminal damage to a police cell van on the same date. 
The court was told that on March 28 a witness saw two intoxicated men 'loitering' near the church and then the Saint Vincent de Paul charity box was smashed and the money taken from it.
Another witness saw the two men near the church and they ran off when challenged. 
McFadden was later arrested for another incident after police were alerted to a fight in John Street where some men including the defendant were attacking a man on the ground. 
The defendant was identified by CCTV as being the instigator of the fight.
After being arrested McFadden was being taken to the hospital as he had blood on his head and he spat blood in the van necessitating a deep clean costing £100.
Defence solicitor Matt Wilson said that McFadden had 58 previous convictions but was under no current orders.
District Judge Oonagh Mullan said that the offence involving a theft from a church was 'deplorable'.
She sentenced McFadden to three months in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered him to pay a total of £250 in compensation. 

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