SPCS

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.

Promoting moral welfare: reflections on true repentence

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With the constant revelations highlighted in the secular media of scandals (sexual infidelities, corruption, financial frauds, etc.) involving professing “Christian” bishops, priests, ministers, pastors and church workers, we must ask ourselves:

How can those genuinely seeking to promote the “moral welfare” of society based on a Judaeo-Christian spiritual framework, continue to do so with integrity, when so many non-Christians accuse them too of sheer hypocrisy and deceit based on the wrongdoing of others? 

Surely it is important and fair-minded to first ask the necessary question: Are the “Christian” individuals and groups actually exposed for proven immorality and corruption, really Christian at all? And second: Are those non-Christians who so boldly point the accusing finger, free from hypocrisy themselves and are they entitled to ‘throw the first stone’?  

Witness the case of Rev. Jonathan Kirkpatrick, 53, a former Auckland University of Technology (AUT) staff member, who recently admitted defrauding the AUT of more than half a million dollars. [Read more…]

AUT fraudster Jonathan Kirkpatrick jailed

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Jonathan Kirkpatrick, the former dean of Dunedin’s St Paul’s Cathedral and former partner of ex-Labour MP Tim Barnett, who was recently convicted for fraud, was sentenced today in the Auckland District Court to three years and two months jail.

Fairfax Media report:

A former manager at the Auckland University of Technology stole over $600,000 from his employer and frittered it away on a lavish lifestyle, flash cars and holidays, a court has heard.

Today his extravagance caught up with him.

Jonathan Kirkpatrick, 53, was sentenced to three years, two months’ imprisonment for the fraud in the Auckland District Court today for stealing $666,000 from AUT between 2002 and May this year.

Crown lawyer Rachael Reed said over eight and a half years, Kirkpatrick used over 82 invoices paid out to companies he set up to steal the hefty sum.

He was authorised in his role, as CEO of AUT’s business innovation centre, to issue invoices of up to $15,000 without supervision.

Reed said Kirkpatrick spent the money on top of his salary, which was $90,000 when he began at AUT in 2002 and rose to $150,000 by the time he resigned in July.

“This is a man who should have no need to steal but who obviously had taste beyond his salaried means,” she said.

Judge AA Sinclair said Kirkpatrick’s offending was motivated by greed. [Read more…]

Rev. Jonathan Kirkpatrick pleads guilty to AUT fraud – NZ Herald

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A former AUT staff member has admitted defrauding the university of more than half a million dollars. Jonathan Kirkpatrick, 53, resigned as chief executive of the university’s Business Innovation Centre after an internal investigation found “accounting discrepencies” involving $665,000. He pleaded guilty to seven fraud related charges when he appeared in the Auckland District Court this morning. He’ll be sentenced on October 6.

His offending involved more than $665,000 taken from AUT between 2002 and May this year. Kirkpatrick is the former Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral in Dunedin and ex-partner of former Labour MP Tim Barnett. Kirkpatrick has a high profile as a gay-rights advocate within the church. His relationship with Mr Barnett, the former Christchurch Central MP, lasted 18 years.

After the Herald broke the news of the police investigation, AUT moved quickly to file legal action against Kirkpatrick in the High Court at Auckland.

 

Priest pleads guilty to AUT fraud. By Hayden Donnell.Wednesday 17 August 2011
See: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10745640&ref=rss [Read more…]

Former Anglican dean admits fraud – Otago Daily Times

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The former dean of Dunedin’s Anglican cathedral has admitted seven fraud charges involving $665,000 missing from the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

Kirkpatrick is the former partner of former Labour MP Tim Barnett.

In 1996 he was made the 10th Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral in Dunedin, working with the country’s first female bishop, Penny Jamieson.

 Wednesday, 17 Aug 2011 Otago Daily Times

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/173920/former-anglican-dean-admits-fraud

Jonathan Kirkpatrick pleaded guilty when he appeared in the Auckland District Court today and was remanded for sentence on October 6. [Read more…]