The former Dean of Dunedin has been sentenced to three years, two months’ imprisonment for fraud by a New Zealand court.
On 6 Oct 2011 the Auckland District Court ordered the Rev. Jonathan Kirkpatrick be jailed and to pay a fine of $20,000. In August, Mr. Kirkpatrick, who served as head of the business innovation centre at the Auckland University of Technology, pled guilty to 82 counts of theft.
Court documents show Mr. Kirkpatrick began stealing from the university shortly after his appointment in 2002 by generating false invoices from companies he controlled, bilking AUT out of almost £330,000.
The Diocese of Auckland suspended Mr. Kirkpatrick following his arrest from his post of Priest in Charge at St Alban’s Church in Balmoral in central Auckland. The Bishop of Auckland has withdrawn the licence of the 53 year old priest, who served as Dean of Dunedin before his move to Auckland.
Prosecuting attorney, Rachael Reed told the court “this is a man who should have no need to steal but who obviously had taste beyond his salaried means.” The proceeds of his crimes were spent on luxurious living, she said.
However the court did learn that Mr. Kirkpatrick was a good corporate citizen. To facilitate his thefts, he generated false invoices from companies he controlled and then authorized payments from the university’s account. Judge A.A. Sinclair noted it was an unusual situation in that the defendant had paid income and sales taxes via his companies on the money he stole.