A man who stole a highly sentimental ring from a dead priest has been sentenced.
Nicholas Mather worked at B Livesey Funeral Directors in Chorley and prised the 18-carat gold priesthood from the finger of Fr Peter Crowther on March 8th, 2026.
Fr Peter’s parents had bought the ring in Rome when he was ordained in 1971. It was inscribed "TU ES SAC ERDOS IN AETERNUM - I AM A PRIEST FOR EVER” and his dying wish was to be buried with it.
However, Mather, who was entrusted with families loved ones during the most difficult time of their lives, instead stole the ring from Fr Peter’s body and sold it to a pawnbroker.
The ring, worth between £3,000 and £3,500, was later melted down and left unrecoverable.
The theft took place four days after Mather had handed in his notice following concerns over his conduct to work colleagues over previous weeks.
An investigation was launched by the funeral directors, and it was also found that Mather had stolen a Rolls Royce key box ring from the firm.
Mather was paid a total of £1,370 cash for both stolen items and spent it on a drug habit.
B Livesey Funeral Directors reported the ring theft to us and Mather was arrested on April 22nd.
He initially denied the thefts but eventually admitted he was responsible and pleaded guilty at Preston Magistrates Court on September 19th to theft from the person of another and theft by employee.
Mather, 34, of Willow Close, Chorley, returned to the same court today (October 16th) where he was given a high-level community order, ordered to complete 300 hours unpaid work, and pay a total of £6,500 compensation.
Magistrates said this was the worst theft case they had heard in their Court given the emotional impact of all those affected.
In an impact statement to the court, Fr Peter’s next of kin Kinga Gray-Grzecynska said: “I feel deeply upset, angry and bewildered that anyone, particularly a member of staff entrusted with the care of the deceased, would steal from a dead body in a mortuary, and especially from a priest. This behaviour is utterly despicable, disgraceful and morally wrong.
“The theft was clearly premeditated and demonstrates a complete lack of compassion, respect and remorse, not only towards the deceased but also towards his family, friends, colleagues and all those affected by his actions.
“To steal from a Catholic priest who dedicated 55 years of his life to serving God and helping thousands of people is an appalling betrayal of the trust placed in those responsible for providing a dignified and respectful funeral.
“It undermines confidence and trust in those professionals, for the care of the dead, at a time when relatives and friends are at their most vulnerable and bereaved. Nick Mather has taken advantage of someone who could not protect himself, believing he would not be discovered.
“I feel that I have let Fr Peter down because I was responsible for ensuring his wishes were carried out, and I have been unable to ensure that he was buried with his priestly ring as he intended.
“What has happened has caused significant upset to me, many priests and others who knew him. Fr Peter did not deserve such a betrayal.”
Michael Livesey, company director of B Livesey Funeral Directors, said: “In my many years in this profession, I have never ever experienced anything like this. It has been deeply upsetting for myself and the rest of the team.
“The most difficult part for me is that the rings hold such a sentimental value and can’t be replaced. No monetary value can compensate the heartache caused to those involved.
“I am deeply concerned that this will be damaging to the company because of the actions of one individual. However, I hope people will recognise that I reported the matter to the police immediately and I have fully supported their investigation from the outset and throughout.”
Det Con Paul Whitaker of our South Division CID, said: “Nicholas Mather’s actions represent one of the most serious breaches of trust possible and it’s clear from the statements you have just read the impact this can have on the wider community.
“Not only did he steal a ring from the body of a priest, but he denied Fr Peter his dying wish.
“When we lose a loved one, we put our complete faith in funeral professionals as trusted pillars of the community. We turn to them when we are at our most vulnerable and we rightly expect that we are treated with honesty and compassion.
“Mather breached the trust of those who turned to them whilst they were grieving. I hope the court result brings some kind of closure for those who knew him.”