A woman at the centre of a Catholic Church money
scandal saw a priest pay her almost £150,000 of parish funds after she
said she was destitute.
Fr
Conleth Byrne (78) handed over the large sums of cash to Ballycastle
woman Marie Hanna believing that she was homeless and in dire financial
difficulties, a court was told.
The
retired parish priest, who was serving in the parish of Loughinisland,
Co Down, at the time, pleaded guilty earlier this week to fraud by abuse
of position.
He claimed that he gave the money to Ms Hanna (54)
over a 19-month period out of "charity" and that he believed her
assurances that she would pay the money back.
A prosecution barrister told the court that he had shown a "high degree of naivety".
Ms Hanna refused to discuss her involvement in the case when contacted by the Belfast Telegraph at her Ballycastle home.
It
is understood that she had been questioned by detectives in relation to
fraud by misrepresentation, however no charge was ever brought against
her.
A PSNI spokeswoman said: "This investigation has concluded and there are no further charges against any other persons."
Sources
close to the case said last night that Ms Hanna often ran up taxi bills
amounting to several hundred pounds a trip travelling from Ballycastle
to Loughinisland to ask Fr Byrne for cash.
The Belfast Telegraph
has learned that Fr Byrne befriended Ms Hanna while she was in prison.
He would have visited the prisons in Northern Ireland as part of his
duties as a priest.
After
her release from prison, Ms Hanna called at the parochial house in
Loughinisland in September 2007 and claimed to be in "dire need" of
financial assistance, Downpatrick Crown Court was told on Tuesday, after
Fr Byrne admitted giving her parish funds.
She told him she was
homeless, had no adequate clothing, had been denied social security
benefits and was in need of medication, the court heard.
Fr Byrne
gave her some money from his own savings, but she continued to call upon
him seeking financial help, telling him she needed money for changes in
accommodation after being evicted, to pay court fines, to replace
damaged furniture and to help resolve "crises" in the lives of her close
family.
Over the next few months Fr Byrne gave her £45,000 from
his own savings and from money he borrowed from friends and family to
help her, a prosecution barrister told the court.
After his own money ran out he began to use parish funds.
From
early January 2008 to August 2009, Ms Hanna received between £133,000
and £145,000 in cash from Fr Byrne, which he obtained through the
cashing of cheques from the parish account.
During his court case
this week, Fr Byrne's defence barrister said that the priest, who
receives a pension of around £900 a month, had already paid back £20,000
of his own money to the parish and has gathered a further £9,000 to
repay.
His lawyer added that Fr Byrne intended to continue making repayments for the missing funds.
Background
Father
Conleth Byrne was parish priest in the village of Loughinisland, Co
Down, when he gave a woman almost £150,000 of parish funds.
The
78-year-old cleric pleaded guilty at Downpatrick Crown Court on Tuesday
to fraud by abuse of position.
The court heard that the woman had told
Fr Byrne she was in dire financial need.
The retired parish priest is
due to be sentenced next month.