10/01/2012

Former Priest Faces Sham Marriage Charges

A former Catholic priest has appeared in court in connection with alleged sham marriages.

Pat Buckley, 59, from Queen Street Larne, faces charges of conspiracy to defraud the Home Secretary by facilitating foreign nationals to gain entry to the UK. These apply to dates between between 1 January 2004 and 16 September 2009.


Speaking afterwards, Mr Buckley told the BBC that he had never knowingly been involved in a sham marriage and that the prosecution was an attempt by the "establishment" to silence a priest who had been the "champion of the marginalised" for 36 years.

The next hearing has been scheduled for 7 February.

(GK)

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