Woman who had sex in a Belfast church during the day to be re-sentenced after breaching probation

A bench warrant was about to be issued by the judge for the woman before she appeared in the public gallery

A homeless woman who had sex in a Belfast church will be re-sentenced in the New Year for breaching a probation order.

Adrienne Surgenor, 35, of no fixed abode, had previously pleaded guilty to a single charge of committing ” a lewd, obscene and disgusting act outraging public decency”. Co-accused Karol Piotr Biernacik, 43, of Loopland Road in east Belfast, also pleaded guilty to the same offence and in May this year they were both ordered to complete a two-year probation order. Belfast Crown Court heard that around 2.30pm on November 6, 2024, two members of the public were attending St George’s Parish Church in High Street. A prosecution lawyer said: “They observed the two defendants engaging in sexual intercourse beneath a blanket. “Having entered the church, the parishioners returned to remind them that this was a sacred and holy place. Biernacik’s behaviour towards the parishioners was aggressive while Surgenor was conciliatory. “Police were called and the defendants continued with their outrageous behaviour until police arrived.” The prosecutor said the aggravating factors were the location of the offence in the grounds of a church in the early part of the afternoon, the persistent nature of the offending and the level of alcohol consumed. A pre-sentence report compiled by the Probation Board said Surgenor had expressed remorse and repeatedly apologised for her behaviour. Judge Sandra Crawford told the defendants: “This was deplorable and repugnant behaviour which offends societal standards.” The Probation Board subsequently breached Surgenor after she had failed to turn up for her first appointment with them on May 27 – four days after she was sentenced. Defence solicitor Diarmaid Kelly told Judge Crawford Surgenor had not turned up for the breach hearing today. “Other than a chance meeting with her in Belfast City Centre, we have not had any contact with Ms Surgenor,” said Mr Kelly. Prosecutor David McNeill said : “It is obviously a tragic case in many ways but I don’t see any other way of getting her to court other than to issue a warrant for her arrest.” Judge Crawford said Surgenor had left the court with “no alternative” but to grant the application for a bench warrant. However, less than 10 minutes later, Surgenor appeared in the public gallery of the court along with her new boyfriend. Defence barrister Laura Jennings said it had now transpired that the Probation Board were no longer willing to offer their resources to Surgenor. She said that Surgenor had now been accepted on to the Complex Lives Programme, a project run by Belfast City Council in partnership with the PSNI, Extern, the Housing Executive, the Probation Board and homeless charity DePaul. Ms Jennings added Surgenor had spent six months in custody ahead of sentencing in May and that remand period in prison was now lost and she has to be re-sentenced for the breach. “At present she still has not got any housing and is living on the streets. One way to test her would be to defer sentencing for six months to see if she can resist reoffending and to see if she can get her life back to some sense of order,” said Ms Jennings. Judge Crawford said the defendant had breached the order for the lack of meaningful engagement and discharged the two-year probation order. Noting that Surgenor had no previous convictions prior to sentencing in May, the judge urged the defendant to avail of all services including the Complex Lives Programme “which she unquestionably needs”. “The court will test the defendant over the next six months by deferring sentence for that period and she has to show evidence that she has kept out of trouble during that period,” said Judge Crawford. The judge directed an updated pre-sentence report from the Probation Board on Surgenor’s progress ahead of sentencing on Friday, January 30, 2026. Judge Crawford added: “The defendant has to appreciate that she has been afforded an opportunity by the court and by the Complex Lives Programme. She will not be afforded any further opportunities.”

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