An Italian churchman dubbed the ‘pusher priest’ who stole parish funds to throw drug-fuelled gay orgies has been sentenced to three years and eight months in jail.

Father Francesco Spagnesi, aged 40, and his legal team negotiated the sentence as part of a plea deal, which saw accusations of drug dealing and trafficking and misappropriation upheld.

But the same plea deal saw an accusation of attempted grievous harm dropped after he allegedly failed to tell the numerous male partners he had unprotected sex with, in orgies he organised himself, that he was HIV-positive.

The guilty party will serve part of his sentence in a therapeutic community, where he will receive treatment for his drug addiction, and he will also be required to perform community service.

The churchman was arrested on 14th September for stealing parish funds to purchase drugs, including the date-rape drug GBL, and to throw gay sex parties.

The former priest, who has reportedly expressed remorse over his actions, will have to return the approximately EUR 300,000 (GBP 257,000) he stole from his parish.

The money had reportedly been donated by the faithful to help the poorest in society but he had pocketed it instead.

According to the defendant’s lawyers, the churchman was taking antiretroviral drugs, and the defendant himself had always maintained that he informed his partners about his HIV status.

His boyfriend, 40-year-old Alessio Regina, was given three years and two months in jail for complicity in the buying and selling of drugs, also as part of a plea deal.

Spagnesi became a parish priest at the age of just 27, and he reported that he began dabbling in drugs around a decade ago.

He has since been removed from his priestly functions by the Diocese of Prato in the region of Tuscany.

He told the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera: “I wanted to be the shepherd of my faithful, guide them towards the ways of the Lord, and I ended up in vice and perdition.”