A former senior official with the St Vincent de Paul has been convicted of harassing four women, three of whom worked for the charity and one who visited the SVP shop in Dundalk town.
73-year-old Michael Dooley of Lennon Melia Terrace in Dundalk had denied four charges of harassment of the women at the St Vincent de Paul building on Jocelyn Street in the town between 2001 and 2009.
However, he was convicted in the local District Court this afternoon. Sentencing has been adjourned for two weeks.
Two of the women worked on Community Employment schemes for the charity and one was directly employed by the SVP. The third was a regular visitor to the shop to see a relative.
The victims told the court that there was inappropriate behaviour by Dooley towards them over a long period of time.
Judge Flann Brennan was told that he pinched one woman's bottom, he pulled open the top of a woman's shirt as well as opening another woman's bra. All four said they were hugged by the defendant regularly and that there were constant inappropriate comments made to them by him.
All the victims said they were afraid of Dooley as he was the President of a local Conference (branch) of the SVP.
Under cross-examination, the women acknowledged that hugging was commonplace among staff and customers in the shop and that several of them had civil actions pending against the defendant.
Giving evidence, Dooley said it was never his intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable.
He admitted to pinching one woman's bottom and making lewd comments, but said it was all done in jest.
"It was part of the banter," he said, although under cross-examination by Inspector John Foudy he admitted he would not do those things again knowing what he knows now.
The defendant denied that he had been taking advantage of vulnerable people working for the charity.
However, Judge Brennan said that all the women were "in a vulnerable position" because they perceived the defendant to be their boss.
He said while the accused may not have intended to cause offence, there was no question but that a reasonable person would have found the conduct inappropriate.
Judge Brennan adjourned sentencing until 19 September.
