Man who claimed abuse by Malachy Finnegan at Newry school to receive £60,000 in damages

The settlement was announced at the High Court in a legal action brought over an alleged campaign of abuse by the late Father Malachy Finnegan.

The plaintiff, who is not being named, sued the Diocese of Dromore, along with the Trustees and Board of Governors at St Colman’s College.

Now aged in his sixties, he was a day pupil at the school during the early 1970s.

During that period Finnegan subjected him to a series of assaults while he was his form tutor, according to the claim.

Lawyers representing the man alleged the priest used a grooming technique which involved vicious physical attacks followed by hugging and sexual fondling under the guise of assisting with the injuries he had sustained.

Finnegan was also said to have ingratiated himself with the boy’s family by making visits to their home.

But back in the College he gave apparent preferential treatment by allegedly summoning him to his study where the sexual touching became more severe.

The psychological impact on the plaintiff contributed to him leaving St Colman’s before sitting his O-Level examinations.

The case is among a series of actions brought over the priest’s activities during the period he taught and worked at St Colman's College.

Finnegan, who died on 2002, was accused of a long campaign of child sexual abuse but never prosecuted or questioned by police about claims made against him.

In 2018 it emerged that the Diocese of Dromore settled a previous claim made by one of his alleged victims.

At that stage the Board of Governors at St Colman's condemned the physical, sexual and emotional abuse inflicted by Finnegan while he worked there.

His image was also removed from the school's photographs.

Legal action against the defendants involved claims for negligence, assault, battery and trespass to the person.

It was confirmed in court that the plaintiff is to receive a £60,000 pay-out plus costs under the terms of the resolution.

No admission of liability was made by the defendants.

Following the settlement the man’s solicitor spoke of his relief that the process was over.

Owen Winters of KRW Law said: “While a financial settlement is no doubt welcome, nothing can take away from those harrowing experiences

“Hopefully closing this chapter can act as a further step along the road of his own personal journey reconciling with that traumatic period in his childhood.”