An elderly priest originally from near Johnstown in County Kilkenny wept in a West Palm Beach Court in Florida as he heard that he was to be jailed for 14 months for misappropriating millions of dollars from a parish in the United States.
Fr John Skehan (81 ), who will begin his sentence on May 1 next will also serve seven years probation and will make a restitution of over $700,000.
The sentence which had been adjourned until today (Friday ) was handed down on Tuesday by Judge Jeffrey Colbath who said that the Kilkenny priest should be jailed for violating a sacred trust and he described the crime as ‘true greed unmasked’.
In January Fr Skehan admitted to the grand theft of $100,000 and the theft of $370,000 between 2001 and 2006 from the church which he had been with for more than 40 years.
He was accused of taking money from the church collection plates at St Vincent’s Ferrer Catholic Church at Delray Beach over many years and using the money to fund an extravagant lifestyle which included investment in properties, lavish holidays and gambling.
The court also heard that Fr Skehan was understood to have purchased a collection of gold coins worth some $300,000 and that 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.
During his sentence hearing Fr Skehan wept as he made a statement revealing that he was ashamed of his actions. In comments made to a West Palm Beach newspaper he said, “I have been devastated in so many ways and recognise the implication of the illegal acts I committed,”
“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.”
Meanwhile a second Irish priest who served in the parish, Fr Francis Guinan (66 ), originally from Co Offaly, is to be sentenced for similar offences.
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.
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.
Due to his advanced age, his remorse and his guilty plea, Fr Skehan’s sentence was less than the expected jail term of between 22 months and 30 years.
