Defence Asks for House Arrest for Former Parish Book Keeper

VOCM
January 9, 2015

http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=51903&latest=1

A former book keeper at St. Patrick's Parish in St. John's will be sentenced in February for defrauding the church of over $300,000.

Dianne Coady was exposed when Parish Priest Father Wayne Dohey decided to follow up on a cheque he had signed, intended for payment of a phone bill. He discovered that the cheque had been paid to the 69-year-old Parish employee, instead of the phone company.

A formal audit later revealed that Coady had defrauded the Parish of over $300,000 between 2007 and 2012.

The Crown has requested that Coady serve 14-16 months in jail, noting her lack of remorse as an aggravating factor. The defence wants a term of "house arrest" as it says Coady poses a low risk to re-offend.

Judge Lois Skanes will deliver a decision on February 2nd.