Knocknacarra couple blackmail priest

biko

A Romanian man has been sentenced to four years in prison for blackmailing a priest and extorting €15,000 from him, while his wife has received a suspended sentence.

Petre Zsiga and his Irish wife Margaret, who live at Knocknacarra, in Galway, both pleaded guilty at Galway Circuit Court to blackmailing Fr Brendan Lawless, the parish priest of Portumna, in 2005.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0720/priest.html

ethernet

Don't know why he paid her off when she had nothing on him. Surely he recalled the incident when she recorded him. Brushing her off wasn't anything to be ashamed about and certainly didn't warrant buying her silence.

TEH REAL CDP

Probably thought that he'd get a hounding from the media who would probably believe her first due to him being a preist. Could have guilted him into it as well. Glad justice was done, but they should have recieved more of a public shaming imo.

Fey!

Would have been nice to see this being more public, as it's not too often that priests end up being the "good guys" in the media scandals.

Pub07

Damn Priests!! cant keep their hands to themselves

learnerplates

Is that the same priest who robbed all the cash and had a missus on the side too? he was in Portumna wasn't he?

biko

No, on Craggy Island

littlejp

He never robbed any money. It was just resting in his account.