Edinburgh crime: Pastor who held super spreader gathering during lockdown ordered to pay fine of £420

A pastor who held a “super-spreader” religious gathering during last year’s Covid lockdown has been ordered to pay a fine.

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Reverend Daniel Karacsony breached the strict Coronavirus restrictions when he held a service for around 50 of his congregation in Leith last January.

Police officers raided the church following complaints from local residents and found most worshippers were not wearing face masks.

Reverend Daniel Karacsony breached the strict Coronavirus restrictions

Karacsony, 49, was arrested and he pleaded guilty to culpably and recklessly holding a religious gathering and putting public health at risk when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.

The pastor, who is a father of three, was slammed by a sheriff who described the religious meeting as a “super-spreader event”.

Karacsony is a pastor with the Hosanna Romanian Church which is connected to the Church of God Scotland organisation.

Yesterday Sheriff Matthew Auchincloss said: “As a leader it is incumbent on you, in organising religious services, to be aware of the Covid regulations.

“By allowing and organising the service to take place you put a considerable number of people at risk.”

Karacsony, of the city’s Fernieside, was sentenced to pay a fine of £420.

The pastor’s lawyer said his client was married with three children and that he “wasn’t aware the Covid regulations had changed”.

The solicitor said Karacsony, who works as a delivery driver, wanted to “apologise to the court” for his part in the offence and “admits he breached the rules but he wasn’t aware”.

Previously fiscal depute Emma Todd told the court worried residents near to the hall at the capital’s Bangor Road contacted police at around 6.15pm on January 10 last year.

Ms Todd said there were “numerous people within the locus” and when police entered the building they “could hear singing coming from the upstairs”.

She said: “They entered and a religious service was taking place.

“There were 40 to 50 people standing in close proximity singing along. The majority were not wearing face masks.

“The officers requested the music to be turned off and the accused said he was the leader of the congregation.

“He stated he was the pastor and they were holding a church service as they do every Sunday.”

Karacsony pleaded guilty to culpably and recklessly organising and holding a religious gathering for numerous persons putting public health at risk during the Covid 19 pandemic and did breach the current Covid 19 restrictions at Bangor Road, Edinburgh, on January 10 last year.

The Church of God Scotland describes itself as a Christian, Protestant and Pentecostal denomination with churches in 184 countries and with a worldwide of membership of over seven million.

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