Convicted former Fine Gael councillor, Fred Forsey, has been remanded on continuing bail after his sentencing was adjourned yesterday due to a family bereavement among a member of his legal team.
Forsey (43) had been due for sentence yesterday after he was convicted at Waterford Circuit Criminal Court last Friday on six counts of accepting corrupt payments from a developer on three separate dates in 2006.
But Forsey’s solicitor, John Devane, applied to have sentencing adjourned as his senior counsel, John Phelan, had suffered a bereavement with the death of his mother-in-law early yesterday morning.
Mr Devane said Mr Phelan had prepared a detailed submission in mitigation for Forsey from Coolagh Road, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, and in the circumstances it was felt that the best course of action for Forsey would be to seek an adjournment.
Prosecution counsel, Denis Vaughan Buckley, said the State had no objection to an adjournment in the circumstances, but he applied to vary Forsey’s bail terms to sign on daily rather than three times a week at Dungarvan Garda station.
Judge Gerard Griffin agreed to adjourn sentencing and remanded Forsey on amended bail terms to sign on daily. He ordered him to appear for sentencing at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin on June 27th.BARRY ROCHE