Overview
- On March 8, 2026, Nicholas Mather, a funeral employee in Chorley, prised an 18‑carat gold priesthood ring from the finger of the late Father Peter Crowther and sold it to a pawnbroker.
- An internal probe by B Livesey Funeral Directors found Mather had also taken a Rolls‑Royce key box ring and that he received about £1,370 in cash for both items, which he spent on a drug habit.
- Lancashire Constabulary arrested Mather on April 22 and he later pleaded guilty to two counts of theft; on October 16 magistrates handed him a high‑level community order, 300 hours of unpaid work, and ordered £6,500 in compensation.
- Victim impact statements and police said the theft denied Fr Crowther his dying wish and caused deep upset to his next of kin, clergy and the funeral team who had trusted Mather with the deceased.
- Because the ring was sold and melted down it cannot be recovered, leaving compensation as the only practical remedy and raising wider concerns about trust, staff vetting and oversight in funeral care.