A VATICAN magistrate yesterday ordered Pope Benedict's former butler to stand trial on charges of aggravated theft for leaking documents alleging corruption in the Vatican.

In a 35-page document on the case which has rocked the Holy See since Paolo Gabriele was arrested last May, the Vatican also charged a computer expert who worked in the Vatican bureaucracy with involvement in the case, the first mention of a second man.

The layman, named as Claudio Sciarpelletti, was also ordered to stand trial, although on lesser charges of aiding and abetting a crime.

The Vatican said it was not clear when the trial would be held but it would not be before the end of September.

A Vatican spokesman said the pope, as the sovereign head of Vatican City, could intervene at any time to stop the trial or pardon Gabriele. He did not know if the pontiff would do so.

If found guilty, Gabriele, who worked in the Pope's private apartments serving him meals and helping him dress, could face six years in jail under the laws of the papal state.

According to the document, Gabriele told investigators he acted as he saw "evil and corruption everywhere in the Church" and wanted to help root it out "because the Pope was not sufficiently informed".

In a section that referred to Gabriele's state of mind, he told investigators: "I reached the point of no return and could not control myself anymore".

He continued: "I was sure that a shock, perhaps by using the media, could be a healthy thing to bring the Church back on the right track".

The indictment order also revealed a cheque made out to the Pope for €100,000 (£78,000), a gold nugget and a 16th century book were found in Gabriele's house, objects the butler said he intended to give back.

The documents leaked earlier this year alleged corruption in the Vatican and detailed rivalries between cardinals.