Councilor jailed for stealing £150,000 from mental health charity to spend on male pr0stitutes and crystal meth

A British councillor has been sentenced to prison after misappropriating 150,000 from a mental health charity to fund a lifestyle involving South American male escorts and illegal drugs. Sean McKiernan, 44, a former Fine Gael councillor and ex-cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, was jailed for three years and nine months, with the final 12 months suspended, after admitting to stealing funds from the Navan Mental Health Housing Association. He will serve two years and nine months in custody and remain under probation supervision for two years after his release. Trim Circuit Court heard that McKiernan abused his position as secretary and treasurer of the charity, which supports people with mental health challenges, to siphon money between March 2019 and April 2020. He pleaded guilty to 11 sample counts of theft from a total of 58, involving amounts ranging from 615 to 5,270. The court was told that McKiernan used the stolen funds to pay male escorts, mainly from South America, and to purchase drugs including crystal meth and GHB. Judge Jonathan Dunply described the offences as a serious breach of trust against vulnerable people who depended on the charity. Detective Garda Sean Patterson said McKiernan obtained blank cheques, persuaded trustees to sign them under false pretences, and at one point removed an entire chequebook from the charitys accountants. An audit later revealed suspicious payments to individuals with no connection to the organisation, many of whom were later identified as escorts. Video evidence recovered from McKiernans phone showed him using drugs and engaging in sexual activity, underscoring what the prosecution described as the scale of the betrayal. Investigators traced 58 cheques lodged into 32 bank accounts across 23 branches, linked to 33 individuals. The court heard that McKiernan claimed the payments were loans or legitimate support for people with mental health issues, and on separate occasions promised to repay large sums, but no money was ever returned. The charity eventually ceased to exist and was absorbed by Drogheda Homeless Aid. In mitigation, defence counsel said McKiernan had suffered from major depressive disorder since his teens, struggled with loneliness, and turned to drugs and escorts to cope with emotional distress. He expressed deep shame over his actions and acknowledged the devastating damage caused to the charity and his own public career. Judge Dunply refused a request to delay the sentence to allow McKiernan put his personal affairs in order, stressing the seriousness of the offences and the harm done to the charity and those it was meant to serve.   The post Councilor jailed for stealing 150,000 from mental health charity to spend on male pr0stitutes and crystal meth appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.