Fahy to appeal one-year jail term for fraud
Fahy received a one-year jail sentence and was fined €75,000 for the misappropriation of public money on Tuesday.
Fahy was convicted on seven counts of fraud, attempted theft, deception and false accounting following an inquiry into the erection of council funded fencing on his farm in 2002/03.
Fahy was elected a Fianna Fáil member of the council but is now an Independent.
FF Senator Michael Kitt insisted people in the councillor’s district of Galway were “taken aback” by the jail sentence given that he had paid back some of the money along with a fine and had no previous conviction.
Mr Kitt claimed it would not be fair if Fahy was removed from the county council while his legal team pursued the case.
Fahy’s solicitor Coleman Sherry said the decision will be appealed but that he could make no further comment on the case or the appeal at this stage.
It is still unclear whether Galway County Council will move to have him debarred.
