By Paul Higgins
A priest has gone on trial accused of historic sexual abuse charges against five males when they were children.
Canon Patrick McEntee, from the Esker Road in Dromore, faces a total of nine charges of indecent assault alleged to have been committed against five complainants on dates between 1 September 1978 and 31 December 1989.
Opening the Crown case against the pensioner, prosecuting KC Samuel Magee told the Dungannon Crown Court jury the youngest complainant, now aged in his fifties, was the first to come forward.
He described how McEntee called the boy into a room and chastised him for his behaviour in class and it was then that he allegedly touched the boy’s genitals, undid his belt, pulled his trousers down and sexually assaulted him.
McEntee sent him back to class with a warning not to get into trouble again, said the senior barrister but about three weeks later, McEntee took him into a study where a similar incident allegedly occurred.
On a third occasion McEntee grabbed him by the arm and said, “You’re coming with me,” but this time the boy, who was around 13, pushed him away.
As this was an action against a member of staff the complainant waited to be called to the principal, but nothing happened.
The jury heard how a second complainant come forward after he read a newspaper article and he
spoke with the Clogher Diocese Safeguarding Director who then alerted police.
Mr Magee outlined how this complainant recalled being sent to McEntee, who at that stage was the college Dean, for something minor.
He described being alone in a room with McEntee when an alleged sexualised incident occurred and
Mr Magee posed the question to the jury, “Why were these disciplinaries taking place in private rooms?”
The third complainant told police he ”wasn’t much of a student” and often found himself in detention which was usually in the college library, but not when McEntee was on duty.
On one occasion he gave the boy money to wash his car but then took him to his private quarters and once there, McEntee put on classical music and had the boy sit on his knee.
He would also offer to take the boy various places which Mr Magee suggested was a way to spend more time with him
The fourth complainant said that when he was about 12-years-old, his unwillingness to do his homework landed him in detention but an attempt to escape this resulted in him being sent to McEntee.
He too described classical music playing and McEntee sat him on his knee “for a chat” but then allegedly touched him over his shirt.
The final complainant alleged McEntee “had a habit of taking him to his private quarters” when he was about 13 or 14.
“The defendant would have him sit on his knee and ask if he’d been a good or bad boy then smack his bottom,” said Mr Magee, “Why would he do that? Was this pastoral care or sexual deviance?”
When McEntee arrested in March 2023 he told police he was shocked by the allegations.
He confirmed working as a teacher and recalled names of “the very good ones but might not remember the very bad ones” out of the hundreds of children he had taught.
McEntee denied ever touching any children, branding some of what was put to him “outrageous”.
The trial continues.
At hearing.
ENDS
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