‘Founder stole €18k from Santa trip charity’

A travel agent has gone on trial accused of stealing over €18,000 from a charity he founded which sent terminally ill children to see Santa.

John, also known as Cornelius, Murphy, aged 66, set up the Children to Lapland Appeal which has flown thousands of children to Lapland.

He acted as director from its foundation in 1987 until it was liquidated in 2012.