A retired Catholic priest has denied defrauding his former Co
Down parish of nearly £150,000 over a 19-month period up to October
2009.
Fr Conleth Byrne (78) allegedly paid monies to a woman from
the funds of his former parish of Loughinisland in the Diocese of Down
and Connor.
No details surrounding the fraud were given to Downpatrick
Crown Court, as his trial, expected to last three to four days, was
fixed for the end of January next.
Initially Fr Byrne appeared
apprehensive when asked to confirm his date of birth before being asked
for his address, which he gave as “the guest house” in Portglenone
Monastery.
Judge David Smyth explained these were just “formal questions, introduced for the purpose of the court record”.
However,
when the single charge that he defrauded his former parish between
January 1st, 2008, and October the following year, Fr Byrne replied “not
guilty”.
He is accused that “whilst occupying a position in which
he was expected to safeguard, or not to act against, the financial
interests of the parish of Loughinisland, dishonestly abused that
position in that he made a number of payments from parish funds to Marie
Hanna totalling £145,617 or thereabouts, with the intention, by means
of the abuse of that position to make a gain for himself or another or
to cause loss to another”.