Pokies have found themselves in the middle of quite a few gambling scandals recently – but none have been as shocking as the case of Father John Fitzmaurice. The Catholic priest has been jailed for spending $150 000 of his church’s money on pokies. According to a report in the New Zealand Herald, Father Fitzmaurice spent $149 000 on pokies over the course of 5 and a half year.
He had been stealing money from his church in order to fund his gambling activities, writing cheques out in his own name and cashing them so that he would have money to spend on pokies. His legal counsel states that Father Fitzmaurice started gambling seven years ago. He claims that his descent into addiction was a result of his feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Father Fitzmaurice has committed a serious crime not only against the Catholic church, but also against the country’s finance laws. He pleaded guilty to eight counts of fraud and has been sentenced to two and a half years in jails for his crimes. Despite the scandal that he has caused for the Catholic church, Father Fitzmaurice’s have shown him a great deal of support.
Their encouraging attitudes about the ordeal speak volumes about the forgiveness and compassion of local religious leaders. "He's part of the church family,” says Bishop Barry Jones. “We'll support him all the way”. When he is released from jail, Father Fitzmaurice will no longer be able to continue working in Christchurch. He has been prohibited from assuming the role of a religious figure in the city, but he has been welcomed to other areas.
The Bishop of Auckland has stated that Fitzmaurice will be given the assistance he requires to get back on his feet in the country’s capital. In the coming weeks, Father Fitzmaurice’s legal counsel will be appealing the decision. He hopes that the court will allow him to be released on bail.
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