I’m holy in the right!
Gardaí force way into home of dead cleric to find a mystery man, woman and two children
A MAN known by the courts simply as ‘John Doe’ and who is accused of occupying the home of a dead Church of Ireland minister was identified in court yesterday.
Gardaí had to make a forced entry into the home just before 5pm yesterday, where they found a man called Daniel Greene, a woman and two children.
The forced entry followed a court order – telling ‘John Doe’ to appear before Judge John O’Hagan at Letterkenny Circuit Civil Court in Co. Donegal.
When he arrived at the court, Judge O’Hagan asked Mr Greene who he was.
Mr Greene replied: ‘ Who do you say I am?’ before eventually telling the court his name i s Daniel Greene.
The court was told that the house in Newton cunningham, Co. Donegal used to belong to the Very Rev Samuel Reede who passed away, aged 86, in October 2010, after serving the Anglican community in east Donegal for 50 years.
The cleric was known as Dean Sam and, in his will, Dean Sam left his cottage to his brother Charles.
In January of this year estate agents began the process of selling the property, with Charles deciding that all proceeds go to l ocal charities. But yesterday Letterkenny Circuit Civil Court heard that, on February 6 of this year, ‘for sale’ signs were removed f rom the property.
‘No trespassing’ sign was in window
Barrister Fiona Crawford, acting for Charles Reede, said two weeks later an estate agent found the locks had been changed and a sign stating ‘no trespassing’ had been placed in the window.
Ms Crawford won an order for vacant possession of the lands and bungalow, and an injunction against ‘John Doe’.
At the latest hearing in Letterkenny, Judge O’Hagan deemed the numerous notices given to John Doe to be valid.
He held ‘John Doe’ in contempt of court and ordered him to leave the home. It was on foot of this that Gardaí made their forced entry yesterday.
The court was told the house had been purchased by Mr Greene for €58,000.
It also heard Mr Greene had paid a €2,000 deposit but that this had been returned to him when it was discovered the house was not actually eligible to be sold.
Mr Greene cl ai med he had purchased the house from Charlie Robinson Estate Agents.
Judge O’Hagan asked the man if he had taken out a mortgage but the man said he had bought the house with his own money.
The judge asked Mr Greene if he had title deeds to the house.
Mr Greene said he had but that they were in Dublin.
Judge O’Hagan adjourned the case until August 13, to allow Mr Greene to show his papers in court.
However, he warned Mr Greene: ‘If there is an order to put you out then out you have to go.’