Businessman accused of stealing €143,000 from Monaghan church

A Co Monaghan businessman and charity volunteer has been charged with stealing over €143,000 from his local church in a series of thefts alleged to have taken place over seven and half years.

David Drum (57), currently living at Bridge Crescent, Parnell Park, Dundalk, Co Louth, is facing 93 charges alleging that he stole €143,215 from St Macartan's Cathedral in Monaghan town between September 2009 and February 2017. *

Most of the charges relate to sums of €1,600, the property of the Parish of Monaghan and Rackwallace, that were alleged to have been taken from the church sacristy each month.

All counts allege Mr Drum entered the building as a trespasser, contrary to Section 12 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001.

At Monaghan District Court on Monday, Mr Drum was released on bail.

The conditions of bail were that he was to sign at Dundalk Garda Station between 9am and 9pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and that he was to surrender his passport (the court was told this was already done) and not attempt to leave the jurisdiction. Mr Drum is to appear before Monaghan District Court again on November 18th.

* This article was amended on October 8th, 2019