A man has been jailed for breaking into a church in Belfast hours after meeting a priest there to discuss his wedding.
Belfast Magistrates' Court heard that Philip Lynch, 24, broke into to St Michael the Archangel chapel on Finaghy Road North in July.
Lynch, of Clooney Road in Derry, admitted carrying out the burglary with intent to steal.
Imposing a five-month prison term, Deputy District Judge Liam McStay said: "This is a mean offence."
The court was told that a man wearing dark clothes and surgical gloves was spotted running away from the church as an alarm went off at around 9.30pm on 18 July.
A caretaker carrying out checks discovered a number of items had been disturbed.
A set of step ladders was found at the side of the building and wires to a CCTV camera had had been tampered with, as if someone had tried to disconnect it.
Blood discovered at a broken window on the first floor of the church was forensically matched to Lynch.
The court heard there is no suggestion that Lynch's fiancée knew anything about the burglary.
The court was also told that Lynch has more than 40 previous convictions, including a separate burglary offence for which he received a 12-month suspended prison sentence earlier this year.
Turlough Madden, defending, cited alcohol and drug misuse for his client's behaviour.
Lynch was homeless at the time he targeted St Michael the Archangel, according to the barrister.
Mr Madden also stressed that nothing was actually stolen from the church.
Judge McStay referred Lynch back to the crown court for a potential breach of his earlier suspended sentence.
