NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph
By Deborah McAleese– 12 April 2013
A woman at the centre of a Catholic Church money scandal saw a priest pay her almost £150,000
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”.
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