Priest cleared of sexually abusing altar boys

A priest at the centre of altar boy sex abuse allegations was yesterday cleared by a jury of all 19 charges.

Relatives and supporters of Father Edward Kilpatrick, 53, sobbed with joy after the jury foreman read out the "Not guilty" verdicts at the end of the 13-day trial at Armagh Crown Court.

The cleric's two accusers, a 30-year-old civil servant, and a 32-year- old teacher who is a former student priest and a homosexual, were not in court to hear the verdicts.

Fr Kilpatrick, a parish priest of Murlog, Co Donegal, is a former diocesan secretary to the now-retired Bishop of Derry Dr Edward Daly. The allegations of gross indecency and indecent assault dated back more than 20 years to when he was a curate in Steelstown parish, Londonderry.