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€73,000 church theft is "traumatic
and painful" - diocese
30.04.14
CHURCH of Ireland
leaders in Inishowen today expressed disappointment
after a former treasurer who stole the Sterling
equivalent of almost €73,000 walked free from court.
The Church of Ireland grouped parishes of Muff, Co
Donegal and Culmore, Derry, said the theft of parish
funds had been both "traumatic" and "painful" for
them.
They were responding after Lyndsey Bredin (27) of
Primity Crescent, Newbuildings, Derry, received an
18 months prison term suspended for three years at
Derry Crown Court yesterday.
She had pleaded guilty to 19 counts of theft between
March 2010 and October 2011.
The court heard that Ms Bredin had failed to pay
back a single penny of the money she took.
It also heard that the theft had left plans for a
new church roof in Muff in jeopardy.
Ms Bredin resigned from her post in November 2011. A
church audit revealed she had been paying cheques –
totalling almost £60,000 – to herself instead of
paying the church's bills.
“The theft has been traumatic and painful for church
members and we are continuing to work together to
face both the financial loss and pastoral
consequences of our former treasurer’s breach of
trust," a spokesman for the Derry and Raphoe diocese
told Inishowen News.
"We can only continue to pray for the strength to
behave as God would have us. We look forward to
reading the judge’s full ruling to understand the
appropriateness of a suspended sentence for a theft
of some £60,000," the spokesman added.
He said the diocese and select vestry of Muff and
Culmore would make no further comment on the matter. |
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