He was a notorious conman who not only avoided prison despite being convicted three times but also was hired as a teacher and promoted to school principal while on a good behaviour bond for child sex abuse.
Coffey’s reign of terror began in 1972 when he was found guilty of an indecent assault while working in South Australia as a trainee priest at St Mark’s College.
While on a good behaviour bond for his 1972 conviction, Coffey was hired as a teacher by Immaculate Heart College, a Marist Brother’s school in Melbourne’s north, where he was accused of multiple incidents of child sexual abuse.
In 1994, Coffey pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of four boys but avoided prison. Assuming he was a first-time offender, the court placed him on another good behaviour bond.
In 1997, he again pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of two more boys. He was placed on a third good behaviour bond and spent only four days in jail.
Coffey failed to appear in a South Australian court to face further child sexual abuse charges in 2007 and died before the case could proceed.
Were you a victim of Gregory Vincent Coffey? Contact Kelso Lawyers to discuss your options for claiming compensation.
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