Court hears man tried to ‘shake priest down’

A MAN tried to “shake down” a priest to hand over €200 by threatening to tell social services that the priest had frightened his child.

Trevor O’Donoghue, aged 38, of 48 Gurranabraher Avenue, Cork, pleaded guilty at Cork District Court to a charge of demanding money with menaces from Fr Colin Doocey on August 6, 2008.

Inspector Michael Fitzpatrick said O’Donoghue went to Fr Doocey asking him for €200 to put towards a deposit on a flat.