Former Loughinisland PP admits £145,000 fraud

Former Loughinisland PP admits £145,000 fraud

10 April 2013

A FORMER Loughinisland parish priest has admitted defrauding the diocese of up to £145,000 — to give to a woman in “dire need”.

Details of the extraordinary case involving 78 year-old Fr. Conleth Byrne, who also gave the woman thousands of pounds of his own money, were revealed following his last-minute guilty plea at Downpatrick Crown Court yesterday as his trial was about to begin.

Fr. Byrne, now retired to Bethlehem Abbey, Portglenone, had previously denied the charge of fraud by abuse of position, which involved giving 50 year-old Marie Hanna, from the Ballycastle area, up to £145,617 between January 2008 and October 2009.

The exact amount is to be confirmed at sentencing next month.

In an agreed statement of facts between the prosecution and defence, prosecuting lawyer Laura Ives said the payments were made in cash, obtained mostly through the cashing of cheques from the parish account, and followed a period where Fr. Byrne gave the woman around £45,000 of his own money.

Ms. Ives said the £45,000 had been obtained in loans from family and friends and had since been repaid.

The lawyer said Fr. Byrne “knew the woman” but this relationship was not explained further in court. It was stated that Ms. Hanna presented herself at the parochial house in “dire need” after being released from prison, claiming she had been denied social security and was in need of medication and clothing.

Ms. Ives said Ms. Hanna then requested help on a “regular basis” alleging incidents such as damage to her property or a crisis involving one of her family members.

“The defendant received assurances that she was owed money from court claims and benefits and that money would be used to repay,” the barrister said.

In July 2009 a diocese accountant noted irregularities and the matter was reported to the church hierarchy and then to the police.

Ms. Ives said Fr. Byrne had documented the payments made and co-operated fully with the church and police. She said he accepted he should have sought authority for the payments but maintained it was for charitable purposes.

Acknowledging it may have been “well intentioned”, Ms. Ives said there was nevertheless a “high degree of naivety”.

“There is no evidence of the defendant making any personal gain,” she added.

The barrister went to say that Fr. Byrne had already paid the diocese back £20,000 and had wanted to pay back around £100,000 before the case came to the court, but his bishop noted this money was likely to come from “elderly relatives”.

“He is intent to make recompense as he can,” said defence barrister Sean Doran.

Judge David Smyth QC asked if there was any evidence of the money being paid for “sexual favours” or “blackmail”, but the prosecution said there was no evidence of this.

Pre-sentence reports were ordered for sentencing at Downpatrick Crown Court on May 10.