The prosecution case has ended in the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of a nun on a forgery charge. Sister Mary Gregory O'Reilly, of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady, with an address at Lincoln Place, Dublin 2, has pleaded not guilty to forging the name of Mrs Margaret McLoughlin on a document or about February 24th, 1992, with intent to defraud.
The court was told the document was intended to be used as part of the memorandum of association of a company limited by guarantee called All-Ireland Children's Hospice Limited.
Mrs McLoughlin, from Athlone, said she was "shocked" to see her name signed on the document by someone else. She said her signature on another version of the document which was actually used in forming the company was hers. Det Sgt John Lynch, a handwriting specialist attached to the Garda Technical Bureau, said the signature on the document was written by someone who attempted to copy Mrs McLoughlin's signature.
He found some common handwriting features between the accused's handwriting and the writing of Mrs McLoughlin's address on the disputed document. Det Sgt Lynch said he couldn't say if the same person who attempted to copy her signature also wrote Mrs McLoughlin's address on that document.
Garda Michael Burke told the jury he took the notes of an interview with the accused on May 24th, 1997. During the interview, Sister Gregory was shown the disputed document and asked about Mrs McLoughlin's signature. She replied it was "very like" her own handwriting but she didn't know why she would have done that.
Garda Burke said the accused added: "It's my writing. Why I did it I do not know." Sister Gregory signed the interview notes as being correct after she had made an amendment to her reply to one question.
The hearing continues.