Catholic priest embroiled in bizarre Super Mario Kart scandal
A Catholic priest who stole $40,000 of parish funds to fuel his addiction to Mario Kart and Candy Crush has been spared jail.
Father Lawrence Kozak, 52, pleaded guilty to siphoning the funds from St Thomas Moore Church in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.
He was sentenced to 80 hours of community service and must write a letter of apology to his former congregation.
Kozak blamed his crime on the stress of the Covid-19 pandemic, losing his father and pain from a partial amputation of his leg after a car crash in 2016, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
A court heard how the priest used a parish credit card to drop tens of thousands of dollars on 'power ups' and other paid-for content in online games, such as Cash Frenzy, Willy Wonka Vegas Casino Slots and Wizard of Oz Slot Machine Game.
The games do not pay out real money for wins but require cash spends.
He also used the stolen funds to buy gifts for his niece including a chemistry set and an Amazon Fire tablet.
His spending was uncovered by an accountant reviewing the church's finances in 2022, according to an affidavit.
Kozak initially denied using the parish credit card for this game spending, but conceded he is 'not a details guy' so could have accidentally used it.
He told investigators he was receiving counselling for his addiction.
'I allowed my playing of games to get away from me, and due to lack of attentiveness failed in my responsibility to be vigilant over the administrative part of my responsibilities,' Kozak told the court.
'I am deeply sorry for the pain and difficulty that was caused to the parishioners of St Thomas More. No matter what, I should have been more attentive, and in that sense I truly failed.'
Kozak has since repaid the parish and has been barred from holding any positions of financial responsibility going forwards.
He was place on administrative leave and is subject to a canonical investigation, according to Ken Gavin, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
But advocacy group Catholics4Change rejected the apology as 'hollow'.
'Kozak's apology in court was hopefully serenaded by violins,' the group wrote.
'While the apology rings hollow, the real apology should be coming from Archbishop Nelson Perez who promoted and installed Kozak to pastor of St Thomas More in July 2020.
'With the current priest shortage and the 'have a pulse, get a parish' way that priests are promoted to pastors, Kozak's 2020 promotion to pastor at St Thomas More is surprising even in an Archdiocese that always manages to scrape the bottom of the barrel and have unsuspecting parishioners pay the consequences
'Kozak should have never been the pastor in the first place.'
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Powys County Times
33 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Plastic surgeon who attempted to murder fellow doctor is jailed for life
A plastic surgeon who stabbed a fellow doctor after trying to set fire to his house because he wanted him 'out of the way' has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years. Peter Brooks, 61, knifed Graeme Perks and doused the ground floor of his house with petrol with intent to set it on fire after cycling to the property in Halam, near Southwell, Nottinghamshire, in the early hours of January 14 2021. Jailing him at Leicester Crown Court, sitting in Loughborough, on Monday, Judge Mr Justice Pepperall said Brooks had committed 'appalling' crimes after setting off from his home on a 'murderous expedition'. Brooks, who was 'voluntarily absent' from his month-long trial because he was on hunger strike and said he would 'rather be dead than incarcerated', did not appear in person for the sentencing hearing on Monday after refusing to leave his cell. Stephen Leslie KC, defending, said Brooks had said he was too unwell to make the journey to court and instead listened to proceedings via video link from HMP Norwich. Mr Justice Pepperall previously told the court that on 'no fewer than eight occasions' since 2021 Brooks, formerly of Landseer Road, Southwell, had 'used hunger strikes or the threat of some other self-harm to achieve some advantage'. Brooks's convictions followed a four-year series of legal hearings, including a mistrial and seven other aborted trial dates. The consultant, specialising in burns and plastics, was convicted in April of two counts of attempted murder, one for the intended use of fire and the other for the stabbing, attempted arson with intent to endanger life, and possession of a knife in a public place. The trial was told Brooks had cycled in the snow to Mr Perks's home during a Covid lockdown wearing camouflage gear and armed with a crowbar, petrol, matches and a knife. Mr Perks, a consultant plastic surgeon, had provided evidence in disciplinary proceedings against Brooks, who faced potentially losing his job with Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, the jury heard. When opening the prosecution's case, Tracy Ayling KC had told the trial it was 'clear that the defendant hated Graeme Perks' and wanted him 'out of the way'. Mr Perks, who was 65 at the time, had retired the month before the attack but suffered 'extremely life-threatening' injuries to his liver, intestines and pancreas, and was given a 95% chance of death. The victim woke up when Brooks smashed through his conservatory, and went downstairs where his feet 'felt a bit damp' from the petrol before he felt a 'blow to his body'. The court was told Brooks had also thrown petrol up the stair walls while Mr Perks's wife Bev and youngest son Henry were sleeping upstairs. The defendant was found asleep on a garden bench later that morning when he was taken to hospital for injuries to his hand, and was arrested. In a victim impact statement read to the court by Ms Ayling, Mr Perks said the incident had been an 'unimaginable catastrophe' for him and his family. He said: 'This has been a nightmare for my wife and son who must have wondered if I was going to survive. 'This has been beyond every struggle in our lives so far.' He added: 'I have no ill-feelings, hatred or bitterness towards my ex-colleague and derive no satisfaction from the guilty conviction. 'It is just another interesting chapter in life, and I wish his family well. 'I remain eternally grateful that it was me, not Bev or Henry who were stabbed, and reflect how ironic that a burns surgeon should wish to immolate our family.' Henry Perks, Mr Perks's son, described Brooks as a 'highly dangerous and remorseless individual' and 'nothing more than a bully', adding: 'He simply has no morals, sees no wrong in his actions and will stop at nothing to hurt those he perceives to have wronged him. 'I have no doubt his failure to silence my father will consume his mind and make him dangerous in the years after his release.' Ms Ayling said Brooks was 'manipulative' and had shown no remorse for what he had done. She said: 'He believes himself to be not guilty of the offences. He believes he has been unlawfully tried. 'He has a history of being manipulative.' Mitigating, Mr Leslie said it was a 'single act of violence' and that there was no pre-planning beyond the day of the attack. He said Brooks had petrol in his garage because he was a motorbike enthusiast and that he is 'beginning to show remorse' for what he had done. He told the court: 'He has done a lot of good in the world for many people. He should be provided with a chance to reform himself. There is still good in him. 'He is now 61, he must have the opportunity of coming out in his lifetime to return to society and be given the opportunity to carry out the good work he has demonstrated.' Mr Justice Pepperall said Brooks must serve a minimum of 22 years, with time spent in prison already taking that to 17 years and 223 days, for the two counts of attempted murder. A sentence of six years for arson and 18 months for possessing a knife are to run concurrently. The judge said Brooks, who specialised in treating burns, would have known the significant damage setting a fire would have caused, as well as how badly Mr Perks would have been injured when he stabbed him. He said: 'You must have had substantial professional experience of treating those who have suffered appalling and painful burns, and yet you attempted to set a fire in the middle of the night, intending to kill your former colleague and to endanger the lives of any other occupants as they lay sleeping in their beds. 'Further, you were a trained surgeon, and yet you plunged a knife into your colleague's body, passing through his liver, his pancreas, his duodenum and his inferior vena cava with the same murderous intent.' He said Brooks was 'fixated' on employment difficulties he was facing and blamed Mr Perks for his troubles. He said: 'Your key demand in negotiations to resolve your employment issues was that Mr Perks should be required to leave the (hospital) trust. 'Upon that evidence and your extreme actions on the night of January 14 2021, I am sure that your simmering sense of grievance towards Mr Perks developed into deep anger.' He added: 'There is evidence that your life was falling apart in January 2021. Your employment difficulties were coming to a head and you anticipated that the disciplinary hearing that opened earlier that week was likely to lead to your dismissal, the loss of your home and the breakdown of your marriage. 'While not mentally ill, you were under very significant pressure. In my judgement, your anger at the perceived injustice and hopelessness of your situation led to this explosion of very serious violence.' Mr Justice Pepperall said he could not be sure whether Brooks had spent more than a few hours before breaking into Mr Perks's house planning the 'murderous expedition' and despite Brooks's claims he had acted in self-defence when confronted by Mr Perks, the judge said he was sure that the defendant was the 'sole aggressor'. He also said he could not detect any remorse for what he had done, adding: 'But rather, a fixed view that you were hounded out of your employment by what you describe as the 'medical mafia' and self-pity at the situation in which you now find yourself.' In a statement after Brooks was sentenced, Sam Shallow from the Crown Prosecution Service said: 'Peter Brooks committed an act of extreme violence, attempting to murder a highly respected colleague. 'This was a planned, calculated attack, in which Brooks showed he was determined to kill his former colleague. 'Since committing these atrocious acts, Brooks has sought to evade responsibility. He has requested late adjournments, dispensed with his legal team, and used his health to avoid proper progress of the court proceedings. 'On each of the nine occasions the case has been listed at court, the prosecution team has been ready. 'Justice has now caught up with Brooks. 'His victim was fortunate to escape with his life and his whole family were in danger from Brooks's inexplicable actions. 'Despite the physical and emotional trauma they have endured, they have come to court to tell their story on two separate occasions. 'This has been a long process for them, but I hope that finally seeing these proceedings coming to a close will help them in their recovery from this ordeal.'
Belfast Telegraph
an hour ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Plastic surgeon who attempted to murder fellow doctor is jailed for life
Peter Brooks, 61, knifed Graeme Perks and doused the ground floor of his house with petrol with intent to set it on fire after cycling to the property in Halam, near Southwell, Nottinghamshire, in the early hours of January 14 2021. Jailing him at Leicester Crown Court, sitting in Loughborough, on Monday, Judge Mr Justice Pepperall said Brooks had committed 'appalling' crimes after setting off from his home on a 'murderous expedition'. Brooks, who was 'voluntarily absent' from his month-long trial because he was on hunger strike and said he would 'rather be dead than incarcerated', did not appear in person for the sentencing hearing on Monday after refusing to leave his cell. Stephen Leslie KC, defending, said Brooks had said he was too unwell to make the journey to court and instead listened to proceedings via video link from HMP Norwich. Mr Justice Pepperall previously told the court that on 'no fewer than eight occasions' since 2021 Brooks, formerly of Landseer Road, Southwell, had 'used hunger strikes or the threat of some other self-harm to achieve some advantage'. Brooks' convictions followed a four-year series of legal hearings, including a mistrial and seven other aborted trial dates. The consultant, specialising in burns and plastics, was convicted in April of two counts of attempted murder, one for the intended use of fire and the other for the stabbing, attempted arson with intent to endanger life, and possession of a knife in a public place. The trial was told Brooks had cycled in the snow to Mr Perks' home during a Covid lockdown wearing camouflage gear and armed with a crowbar, petrol, matches and a knife. Mr Perks, a consultant plastic surgeon, had provided evidence in disciplinary proceedings against Brooks, who faced potentially losing his job with Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, the jury heard. When opening the prosecution's case, Tracy Ayling KC had told the trial it was 'clear that the defendant hated Graeme Perks' and wanted him 'out of the way'. Mr Perks, who was 65 at the time, had retired the month before the attack but suffered 'extremely life-threatening' injuries to his liver, intestines and pancreas, and was given a 95% chance of death. The victim woke up when Brooks smashed through his conservatory, and went downstairs where his feet 'felt a bit damp' from the petrol before he felt a 'blow to his body'. The court was told Brooks had also thrown petrol up the stair walls while Mr Perks' wife Bev and youngest son Henry were sleeping upstairs. The defendant was found asleep on a garden bench later that morning when he was taken to hospital for injuries to his hand, and was arrested. In a victim impact statement read to the court by Ms Ayling, Mr Perks said the incident had been an 'unimaginable catastrophe' for him and his family. He said: 'This has been a nightmare for my wife and son who must have wondered if I was going to survive. 'This has been beyond every struggle in our lives so far.' He added: 'I have no ill-feelings, hatred or bitterness towards my ex-colleague and derive no satisfaction from the guilty conviction. 'It is just another interesting chapter in life, and I wish his family well. 'I remain eternally grateful that it was me, not Bev or Henry who were stabbed, and reflect how ironic that a burns surgeon should wish to immolate our family.' Henry Perks, Mr Perks' son, described Brooks as a 'highly dangerous and remorseless individual' and 'nothing more than a bully', adding: 'He simply has no morals, sees no wrong in his actions and will stop at nothing to hurt those he perceives to have wronged him. 'I have no doubt his failure to silence my father will consume his mind and make him dangerous in the years after his release.' Ms Ayling said Brooks was 'manipulative' and had shown no remorse for what he had done. She said: 'He believes himself to be not guilty of the offences. He believes he has been unlawfully tried. 'He has a history of being manipulative.' Mitigating, Mr Leslie said it was a 'single act of violence' and that there was no pre-planning beyond the day of the attack. He said Brooks had petrol in his garage because he was a motorbike enthusiast and that he is 'beginning to show remorse' for what he had done. He told the court: 'He has done a lot of good in the world for many people. He should be provided with a chance to reform himself. There is still good in him. 'He is now 61, he must have the opportunity of coming out in his lifetime to return to society and be given the opportunity to carry out the good work he has demonstrated.' Mr Justice Pepperall said Brooks must serve a minimum of 22 years, with time spent in prison already taking that to 17 years and 223 days, for the two counts of attempted murder. A sentence of six years for arson and 18 months for possessing a knife are to run concurrently. The judge said Brooks, who specialised in treating burns, would have known the significant damage setting a fire would have caused as well as how badly Mr Perks would have been injured when he plunged a knife into him. He said Brooks was 'fixated' on employment difficulties he was facing and blamed Mr Perks for his troubles, with his 'sense of grievance developing into deep anger' as he faced losing his career and his home. Mr Justice Pepperall said he could not be sure whether Brooks had spent more than a few hours before breaking into Mr Perks' house planning the 'murderous expedition' and despite Brooks' claims he had acted in self-defence when confronted by Mr Perks, the judge said he was sure that the defendant was the 'sole aggressor'. He also said he could not detect any remorse for what he had done, and instead that Brooks felt 'self-pity for the situation you find yourself in'. In a statement after Brooks was sentenced, Sam Shallow from the Crown Prosecution Service said: 'Peter Brooks committed an act of extreme violence, attempting to murder a highly respected colleague. 'This was a planned, calculated attack, in which Brooks showed he was determined to kill his former colleague. 'Since committing these atrocious acts, Brooks has sought to evade responsibility. He has requested late adjournments, dispensed with his legal team, and used his health to avoid proper progress of the court proceedings. 'On each of the nine occasions the case has been listed at court, the prosecution team has been ready. 'Justice has now caught up with Brooks. 'His victim was fortunate to escape with his life and his whole family were in danger from Brooks's inexplicable actions. 'Despite the physical and emotional trauma they have endured, they have come to court to tell their story on two separate occasions. 'This has been a long process for them, but I hope that finally seeing these proceedings coming to a close will help them in their recovery from this ordeal.'
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Surgeon who attacked rival doctor with knife at £1m luxury home jailed for life
A plastic surgeon who attempted to murder a colleague who took part in a disciplinary hearing against him has been jailed for life. Jonathan Peter Brooks, 61, broke into the £1m family home of fellow doctor Graeme Perks and stabbed him after trying to burn down the property. He had armed himself with petrol, matches and a knife before cycling to the house in camouflage gear to get his colleague 'out of the way'. Brooks doused the property in petrol and stabbed Mr Perks, 67, when he came downstairs after hearing a loud noise. He was rushed to hospital after being found by his wife and son and only survived thanks to 'quick action and amazing surgical skill'. Brooks was found 'cold and asleep' in a garden several hours later and arrested in hospital after being taken there by paramedics. The attack took place in January 2021 during the Covid lockdown, three days after disciplinary proceedings had begun against the defendant. Brooks tried to get the hearing postponed a day before the attack in Halam, Notts – but his request was refused. Prosecutors said he then decided 'that instead of following the law he was going to take the law into his own hands'. Mr Perks, who worked with Brooks at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, lived with wife Beverley, 68, and adult son Henry. Brooks's DNA was found on the knife, while fragments of glass were discovered on his clothing. The burns specialist, of Southwell, Notts, was convicted of two counts of attempted murder in April. He was also found guilty of attempted arson with intent to endanger life and possession of a knife in a public place. He was jailed for life today with a minimum term of 22 years. Brooks refused to attend his trial in Loughborough, Leics, because he was on hunger strike in prison. He also sacked his lawyers and was unrepresented in the case. His only appearance during the trial came during a legal argument hearing in the jury's absence. He appeared in court via video-link from HMP Norwich and could be seen lying on the floor. In a failed bid for an adjournment, he told the judge: 'I would rather be dead than in prison so I continued with my hunger strike. 'I have had enough of being in prison. 'I don't particularly want to die but if my choice is between incarceration and death, I would rather be dead than incarcerated.' Rachel Dean, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said Brooks carried out a 'planned, calculated attack'. Det Insp Matt Scott, of Nottinghamshire Police, said Brooks clearly intended to 'fatally injure his victim'. He said Mr Perks and his family had shown 'enormous courage and dignity' throughout the 'extremely distressing ordeal'.
