UTV
December 8, 2011
http://www.u.tv/News/Ex-priest-labels-abuse-claims-preposterous/d1ef5ab8-f709-40f5-8c83-f99d9c1f7567
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Allegations of sexual abuse levied against a former priest were labelled by him as "just preposterous" on Thursday.
Taking the witness box at Belfast Crown Court for the third day running, 53-year-old former priest James Martin Donaghy maintained his denials of each and every allegation against him.
Donaghy told prosecuting QC Ken McMahon under cross-examination that for his third alleged victim to claim he was once abused in the parochial house when so many other people had access to the property "was just preposterous."
The lawyer put to him that "all these people, all three are making preposterous allegations" and the former priest told the jury of nine men and three women: "I have denied each and every one of the allegations put to me."
Donaghy, from Lady Wallace Drive in Lisburn, denies a total of 26 charges involving the alleged sex abuse and indecent assault of three males between June 1983 and December 2000, including Fr Patrick McCafferty, Mr James Doherty and a now 29-year-old man who was an altar boy and one-time trainee priest at the time of the alleged abuse.
Cross-examination focused on allegations made by the third alleged victim who claimed Donaghy subjected him to foot fetish based abuse as well as attempted buggeries.
He said that Donaghy told him "he loved me and that he had loved me from the first time that he had set eyes on me".
He claimed he was first abused when he was around 14, that Donaghy used the term "ice cream" as a code for abuse, that he would make up jobs for him to do so that his family let him stay around the parochial house, often staying overnight and that on almost every occasion, he was subjected to some form of abuse.
However, Donaghy later told the court that "did not have a sexual relationship with him."
Going through the alleged victim's statement, Mr McMahon made numerous suggestions to Donaghy about the series of allegations such as threatening to kill him if he told anyone about the abuse, the alleged victim staying overnight on a weekly basis and trying to bugger him.
At each and very turn, Donaghy refuted the suggestions.
After lunch, defence QC Eugene Grant called Donaghy's sister Patricia Mulholland to give evidence about allegations Fr McCafferty made about being twice abused in the family home when he stayed over - once on the night before Donaghy was ordained and again when he and Donaghy went on retreat to Donegal.
She was emphatic that Fr McCafferty "did not stay, definitely did not stay" on any occasion and under cross examination from prosecution lawyer, Amanda Brady, she maintained: "I'm telling the judge and the jury that Paddy McCafferty did not stay overnight - my parents did not allow anyone to stay".
In relation to allegations made by Fr McCafferty that Donaghy forcibly removed his trousers and pants, exposing his genitals whilst at seminary in Wexford, the defence called Fr Dermot McKay. He was at seminary at the time and is now the parish priest in Larne.
Fr McCafferty has claimed that Fr McKay was "laughing hysterically" when the incident happened.
On Thursday, Fr McKay told the jury "I have gone over this in my mind over the last six or seven years since it was brought to my attention" but that he had no recollection of anything like that having happened.
He told Mr Grant if he had witnessed such an incident, he would "certainly" have remembered it.
The jury have now heard all of the evidence in the case and trial Judge Patrick Lynch QC told them they will begin to hear prosecution and defence speeches on Monday.
The trial continues.
At hearing.
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