TWO men have denied burgling a Plymouth church and stealing sacred rosary beads.

Lee Pope, aged 20, and Jamie Pester, aged 18, faced city magistrates in custody charged with burglary at St Margaret Mary Roman Catholic Church in Plymstock on Sunday.

They are jointly accused of entering the church in Quarry Park Road as trespassers and stealing religious items of an unknown value.

Both Pope, of no fixed address but previously from Plymstock, and Pester, whose address was given as Pomphlett postcard printing Close in Plymstock, entered 'not guilty' pleas to the charge.

Pope alone is charged with threatening criminal damage to a window belonging to his mother on the same day. He also denied that allegation.

Soo Jackaman-Hall, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "This is an allegation of burglary at a church where sacred items were damaged.

"The theft was of a low value and consisted of a number of packets of rosary beads, and there was some damage to Zenith Replica Watches a door," she said, adding that the burglary happened just before a christening was due to take place in the church.

Magistrates ruled that the case was suitable for trial in their court.

Pope agreed to be tried in the magistrates' court but Pester elected to face a trial at the Crown court.

Magistrates remanded Pope in custody until March 1. Pester was released on conditional bail until April 19, when his case is due to be committed to the senior court.

He must live and sleep at his home address, not go within 500 metres of the church and not contact Pope.

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