Courts / Kildare / Report
Pastor who embezzled €125k from own church has sentence cut on appeal
Summary
The Court of Appeal has reduced the prison sentence of Ebenezer Oduntan, a former pastor of the City of David Church in County Kildare, from seven years to six years, with the final six months suspended. Oduntan was convicted of 87 theft and fraud-related offences following a three-week trial at Naas Circuit Criminal Court in March 2024. He had initially denied 54 charges but pleaded guilty midway through the trial to 19 counts of theft, five counts of deception, and nine charges of providing false information to the Companies Registration Office. The offences, spanning 2010 to 2020, involved embezzling approximately €125,000 from the church and inflating donation levels to claim larger tax rebates. Mr Justice Alexander Owens quashed the original sentence, describing the trial judge's headline sentence as "somewhat too high" but noting the offending was "particularly serious" due to a gross breach of trust. The judge highlighted that Oduntan made no restitution to the congregation or Revenue. While acknowledging limited mitigation, the Court of Appeal substituted the sentence with six years' imprisonment, suspending the final six months to encourage rehabilitation. The appeal was heard after Oduntan's legal team argued the original sentence was excessive given the total amount involved and his lack of previous convictions.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Pastor who embezzled €125k from own church has sentence cut on appeal. Charges or matters: 87 theft and fraud-related offences following a three-week trial at Naas Circuit Criminal Court in March, 2024. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- 2010 and 2020 Other
- 2012 and 2020 Other
- 2026-02-20 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: 87 theft and fraud-related offences following a three-week trial at Naas Circuit Criminal Court in March, 2024 (Proven)
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; Oduntan was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, with the final six months suspended, by Judge Martina Baxter. He submitted that the trial judge erred in placing the case at the upper range of offending, noting that the total amount involved, approximately €125,000, was lower than in other cases where shorter sentences had been imposed.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Naas
- Naas Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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