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The Constable of St. John has agreed to personally pay back the £7,000 of ratepayers’ cash he spent on legal fees in relation to his ongoing dangerous driving court case, amid mounting fury from parishioners, Express understands.
Constable Chris Taylor’s decision to use Parish funds for his defence against a charge of driving dangerously emerged in the Parish’s 2019-2020 accounts, which were approved in a Parish Assembly meeting last week.
When the appropriateness of the expenditure was challenged by St. John’s Rector and churchwardens, they were told by procureurs – officials in charge of handling parish finances – that it was justified because the Constable had been acting in an official capacity at the time of the alleged offence.
Despite assurances that the money will be recouped via insurance, the revelation sparked outrage among parishioners and even a fellow Minister, Senator Sam Mézec, who described such use of parish money as “totally unacceptable”.
And so “disappointed” was former St. John procureur Andy Jehan, that he contacted the Attorney General’s office for guidance on the matter.
Pictured: Former St. John Procureur Andy Jehan contacted the Attorney General's office for guidance.
Mr Jehan also confirmed to Express that he had begun working with other parishioners on a ‘requête’ – a centuries-old device enabling parishioners to demand a parish assembly – in order to get the money back.
Amid this mounting outrage, Express understands that the Constable has now agreed to pay the money back in full.
Despite this, Mr Jehan says he will still be pushing forward with the ‘requête’ as part of a bid to ensure that ratepayers’ cash is not used to fund legal advice for criminal proceedings in the same way again.
“It’s no good paying back today and us spending more money next week. It’s got to be sorted out,” he commented.
Pictured: Mr Jehan wants to make sure parish funds cannot be spent on legal fees in a criminal matter in future.
The next hurdle, however, will be having his request for a parish assembly meeting approved.
This would normally be the decision of the Constable or, failing that, the procureurs, but all are conflicted due to the subject matter. Mr Jehan said he is awaiting confirmation on how to proceed.
Overall, the former procureur said the saga had left him feeling let down and concerned that St. John had been brought into disrepute again just years after former Constable Graeme Butcher was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for spending £867 of parish money on personal goods. At trial, Butcher claimed he was "an honest Constable trying to do the best for my Parish”, and said he simply "forgot" to repay the money.
“The parish went through three-and-a-half years of turmoil not long ago with the previous Constable, and to see us being dragged through the mud again is just so disappointing," Mr Jehan commented.
Pictured: Graeme Butcher, a former St. John Constable, who previously stood trial over his inappropriate use of parish money.
Express has contacted Constable Taylor for comment, but is yet to receive a reply.
His dangerous driving trial is scheduled to take place in the Magistrate's Court on Thursday 20 August at 10:00.
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