A CATHOLIC priest told a hushed court today of his shame because he had sex with a Polish student whose body was found in his church.

Father Gerard Nugent, 63, also told the High Court in Edinburgh that he was an alcoholic.

The priest, known as Father Gerry, told the murder trial yesterday of his admiration for devout Catholic Angelika Kluk, her vitality and her love of life.

He told how they first met in the summer of 2005 - when Angelika was only 22. She turned up at St Patrick's Church in Anderston, Glasgow, asking for a place to stay and he offered her a room in the chapel house attached to the church.

Church volunteer handyman Peter Tobin, 60, is on trial accused of raping and murdering Angelika and hiding her body under the floor of the church.

Father Gerry returned to court today to face further questions from advocate depute Dorothy Bain, prosecuting.

He told her how Angelika admired his masses and other services and how they often talked and had "intellectual discussions".

Ms Bain asked him: "Did you have a sexual relationship?"

After a moment's pause, the priest whispered: "Yes".

Recovering his composure he said it happened in August or September 2005: "The sexual intimacy happened about three or four times. I felt guilty and I felt ashamed and disgusted with myself. I knew I was wrong and I wanted to make it right."

Ms Bain said: "Were you in love with her?"

Father Gerry replied: "No."

He agreed that because she was living under his roof he was in a position of trust and that he had betrayed that trust.

Ms Bain said that earlier the trial had heard Angelika's sister, Aneta, 28, and the student's married lover, chauffeur Martin Macaskill, 40, say the priest's sex confession was untrue.

"Sadly it is true," replied Father Gerry.

Asked how it came to stop, Father Gerry said: "I take full responsibility. Angela is not here to give her side. I knew it was wrong, I knew I was doing wrong but I was guilty. I felt terrible. I knew it had to stop so that part of the relationship stopped."

Afterwards, he said, his relationship improved: "I still had the same feelings for her in terms of the admiration and in my view the relationship was better as I was aware nothing was going wrong. In a way I felt closer to her because of this. I felt it was the right way to be with her."

The murder charge alleges that Tobin attacked Angelika between September 24 and September 29 in St Patrick's Church, or elsewhere, gagging her with cloth and tape, tying her hands, raping her, battering her with a piece of wood or something similar, and repeatedly striking her with a knife.

It is alleged that he then hid the body under the floor of the church in an attempt to defeat the ends of justice.

In a "special defence" read to the jury Tobin admits having sex with the Polish student, with her consent. A further charge - which Tobin also denies - alleges that he told Glasgow police his name was Patrick McLaughlin, gave a false date of birth and address, and that he travelled to London and gave staff at the National Neurology and Neurosurgery Hospital in Queen's Square, London, another false name.

Tobin also denies a breach of the peace between July and September last year by threatening Russian student Rebecca Dordi at St Patrick's Church. The trial continues.