A former cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council has again been further remanded on bail in relation to theft of over €170,000 from a mental health charity.
Seán McKiernan, aged 44 with an address at Trinity Bungalow, Virginia Road, Bailieborough, Co Cavan was charged with 58 counts of theft at various unknown locations within the State.
The total amount involved in the theft from the County Meath charity was just over €172,000 which was revealed at a previous court date.
Mr McKiernan appeared in court today where Judge John Martin confirmed the 15th December as the sentencing date where the case will be heard.
It will be held at Trim Circuit Court in front of another judge following the announcement by Judge Martin last Friday that he would have to excuse himself due to being an external member of the Charitable Services Committee which leads into the charities Regulator, adding that he didn’t think it was appropriate for him to deal with the case.
Judge Martin said justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done and that he thought he was appropriate to highlight at his earliest convenience that he felt that it wasn’t appropriate for him to hear and make a decision on this case.
The charges relate to thefts in amounts ranging from €500 to €7,500 from Navan Mental Health Housing Association Ltd on dates in 2019 and 2020.
Mr McKiernan appeared in July before Judge John Martin at Trim Circuit Court, where the former Fine Gael councillor pleaded guilty to two sample charges, count 1 and count 58.
Count 1 involves the theft of €5,230 on the 26th of March 2019 at an unknown location while count 58 involves the theft of €800 from the Meath based charity on the 6th of April 2020.
Free legal aid was previously granted to the former councillor in the form of a solicitor and two barristers.
