Priest gets 12 years' jail for abusing youngsters
By Tom Hayes, November 13, 2004
13/11/2004
A priest who sexually abused youngsters, including a brother and sister, was jailed for 12 years at Newry Crown Court, Co Down, yesterday.
Michael Gerard McQuillan, (43) who admitted a total of 40 sex charges involving his five victims between December 1986 and January 1993, was also put on the sex offenders' register for life.
The address of the 43-year-old former Co Armagh school chaplain was given as Our Lady of Bethlehem Abbey, Portglenone, Co Antrim.
His victims listened as Mr John Orr, QC, defending, apologised unreservedly on behalf of McQuillan, whose days in the priesthood were now over, added the lawyer.
"At the outset, acting on my client's instructions, conscious of the fact his victims are in court, my client wishes to apologise unreservedly for the conduct he subjected each and every one of them to over a number of years," said Mr Orr.
� The Irish Times