SICK con-artists

Father John Skehan, the priest convicted of embezzling parish funds at Myrtle Beach, Florida, failed yesterday in his legal attempt to get out of jail. His lawyers made the plea that he is suffering from prostrate cancer and that 81-year-old Father Skehan was suicidal. The Kilkenny cleric may well be sick but it's amazing how many fraudsters develop medical problems when they get caught.
Irish citizen Gabriel MacEnroe, who pleaded guilty to $2.8 million ponzi scheme, also in Florida, got bail because of his high-blood pressure. He then fled the country, forcing the US authorities to eventually extradite him from Switzerland.
Fugitive lawyer Michael Lynn used the 'flu as his excuse for not giving evidence in court by video link. There's a High Court warrant out for his arrest after he previously failed to turn up to explain an €80 million mortgage fraud.
Then there was taxman Brendan Murphy, who tried pull off a IR£3.4 million scam in 1997. He tried to change his early guilty plea to not-guilty after his co-accused and main witness died in prison. In court he produced letters to show he had a prescription drug problem and suffered from chronic anxiety, restlessness and was 'bewildered' when he made his initial plea. The judge didn't buy it.