Undertaker who exhumed corpse avoids jail

An undertaker escaped a criminal conviction yesterday after pleading guilty to illegally exhuming the body of a 95-year-old man from a cemetery.

Donal Daffy, of Skagh, Croom, Co Limerick, who has worked as a funeral director for over 30 years, admitted failing to acquire an exhumation licence before digging up the man’s remains and moving them to a graveyard 5km away.

The 59-year-old undertaker unlawfully exhumed the body of Joseph ‘Josie’ Graham on Feb 26, 2011, from Clounanna Graveyard, Patrickswell, Co Limerick, and reburied the remains in St Mary’s Cemetery.