Irish priest jailed for 14 months by Florida court

AN IRISH priest accused of misappropriating millions of dollars from a parish in the United States was sentenced to 14 months in prison by a Florida court yesterday.

Fr John Skehan (81), originally from Co Kilkenny, is due to begin his sentence on May 1st. He will serve seven years probation, the West Palm Beach court heard. Fr Skehan has also agreed to make a restitution of over $700,000.

Due to his advanced age, his remorse and his guilty plea, his sentence was less than the expected jail term of between 22 months and 30 years.

However, Judge Jeffrey Colbath said he should be jailed for violating a sacred trust.

He described the crime as true greed unmasked.

During his sentence hearing last Friday, Fr Skehan began to cry as he made a statement revealing that he was ashamed of his actions.

"I have been devastated in so many ways and recognise the implication of the illegal acts I committed," Fr Skehan said, according to reports in the Palm Beach Postnewspaper.

“My remarks stem. . . from the fact I know I have done wrong and for that I am truly ashamed.

‘‘ I committed these acts, this taking of money I wasn’t entitled to, even though I knew it was wrong.”

A spokesman for the archdiocese said in court on Friday that it was concerned for restitution rather than incarceration. The defence witnesses had asked the judge for leniency.

Friday’s hearing was postponed for a week as the judge said he “had too many things to consider.” However, the sentence was handed down yesterday, earlier than expected.

During his trial in January, Fr Skehan admitted the charge of grand theft of over $100,000 . He had been with the church for more than 40 years.

He was convicted of taking $370,000 between 2001 and 2006, the five-year time frame for such times covered by the statute of limitations in Florida.

Another priest who served in the parish, Fr Francis Guinan (66), originally from Co Offaly, is to be sentenced for similar offences later today.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of grand theft of up to $100,000 and faces a sentence of up to 15 years in jail.

The retired priests were accused of skimming cash from collection plates and bequests to the St Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach, Florida, over a period of years and channelling the money into secret funds they used to finance personal costs.

A forensic accounting firm hired to investigate the diocese accounts had found that over $8 million was misappropriated during the tenures of Fr Skehan and Fr Guinan.

The men are accused of using the money to fund lavish lifestyles and to pay for gambling holidays and property investments.

Fr Skehan is also understood to have purchased a collection of gold coins worth some $300,000.

He owned a pub in Co Kilkenny, a cottage in Co Clare, a penthouse condominium worth $455,000 in Singer Island, Florida, and another in Delray Beach.

The thefts took took place over a period of years when Fr Skehan served as St Vincent’s parish priest and continued when Fr Guinan took over as pastor five years ago.