A judge has ordered an Irish dance teacher to hand over his bank records after hearing he still hasn’t paid any of a €400,000 High Court compensation order to a victim he sexually abused.
Michael Quigley told Letterkenny District Court in Donegal that he didn’t have the means to pay anything to Dana Doherty.
Quigley, of Barnhill Park, Letterkenny, has lost several High Court cases in the matter. The 70-year-old said he didn’t have any money to pay his victim.
Under cross-examination by Ms Doherty’s solicitor Orlagh Sharkey as to why he hadn’t paid, Quigley replied: “I have not made any effort because I’m not in a position to pay anything. My only assets are my pensions.”
Judge Paul Kelly was told by Quigley’s solicitor Patsy Gallagher that he had €339 a week from his pensions.
In a statement of means handed into the court, Quigley said he had nothing left once he had paid his bills.
Ms Sharkey challenged him on his claim that he paid half — or almost half — of the mortgage on his home.
“This is in direct contradiction to a statement made by your wife to the High Court in which she said in evidence and in an affidavit that she paid all of the mortgage on your home,” Ms Sharkey said to the witness.
“That’s not the case,” replied Quigley, who was then questioned about his bank accounts and said that he didn’t have any, just a credit union account into which his pension is paid.
Quigley told the court he used that account to withdraw his pension and to pay bills. He confirmed he had £5,919 in the credit union account across the border in Derry.
“How much is your client seeking per month,” Judge Kelly asked Ms Sharkey.
“We are seeking payment of €1,000 per month,” she said.
Ms Sharkey said Quigley’s statement on his monthly expenditure was ‘entirely contradictory’ set against previous court hearings.
Quigley’s wife Alice, the solicitor said, had claimed in one court to be the sole owner of property whereas in court yesterday, Quigley was now claiming the ownership of the property was “a joint exercise”.
She added: “Alice Quigley is a retired national school teacher in receipt of a very healthy pension.
“Mr Quigley fails to appreciate the serious nature of the High Court judgment against him and he has made no effort whatsoever to compensate our client.”
Judge Kelly ordered that Quigley should provide details of all or any of his accounts for the whole of 2014 and for this month. He also asked that he provide receipts for January showing his day-by-day expenditure.
The judge said all this information should be supplied to Ms Doherty’s solicitors Callan Tansey Solicitors in Sligo and to the court by the end of February.
The case was adjourned until March 4.