Paedophile priest released for funeral

NORTHERN IRELAND
UTV

A convicted paedophile priest from Lisburn has been granted compassionate bail for 24 hours to allow him to attend the funeral of a family member.

James Martin Donaghy, 53, has been in custody since December 15 – when he was convicted by a jury of a litany of sex crimes against two altar boys and a trainee priest over a period of 17 years.

During his trial, Belfast Crown Court heard how Donaghy had told one of his victims that a priest’s vow of celibacy was “only man-made rules and it’s up to your conscience”.

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