Canon arrested, but all in a good cause!
Revd Canon Cecil Wilson has been shopped by two Kilmore Parishioners, and found himself being ‘arrested’ in church on 15 February. He was cautioned by the PSNI, before being incarcerated in Kilmore Church Hall. Cecil was then quickly sentenced to the hard labour of raising the £300 ‘bail’ for his release.
He was detained on the charge of, “Being in charge of two canons without a firearms licence.” The canons in question are brothers Frank and John Bell, both previously rectors in the Diocese of Down and Dromore and now Kilmore parishioners.
“I was ‘shopped’ by Margaret White and Andrea Armstrong,” said a strangely jovial Cecil. “Margaret’s brother Robert, had a serious stroke at the age of 50 and was the first person in Northern Ireland to receive a revolutionary new immediate treatment.” Robert was there to witness the arrest and is something of a walking miracle, so successful was the thrombolytic treatment he received.
And therein lies the reason for Cecil’s brush with the law. Throughout 2012, the Stroke Association is the chosen charity of Police Forces around the UK and the ‘Jail and Bail’ fundraising event is happening nationwide.
As it transpired, Cecil was out in half an hour, having collected £600, double the required amount, through the generosity of the people of Kilmore.
He is none the worse for his ordeal and assures us he was well–treated before being released back into the community!
L–R: Andrea Armstrong, PSNI Constable, Cecil Wilson and Margaret White.
Click here to see a few more photos.
About the Stroke Association
Approximately 4,000 people across Northern Ireland will have a stroke each year. Stroke is the leading cause of disability and the third biggest killer. The Stroke Association is the only organisation in Northern Ireland solely dedicated to the needs of stroke survivors and people living with aphasia. It provides vital professionally led services such as speech and language therapy, family support, training, information and advice to stroke survivors and people living with aphasia, their carers and families’ right across Northern Ireland.