MIKE Stanwell is the Hunter Catholic school principal who punched priest David OHearn in March, 1999 and paid the price.
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Mr Stanwell did not know OHearn was sexually abusing children when he threw the punch, but the priest was the second of the churchs child sex offenders who crossed his path. A decade earlier Mr Stanwell appealed unsuccessfully to the then Bishop Leo Clarke to protect children from notorious Hunter paedophile priest Denis McAlinden.
Mr Stanwell was relieved to hear OHearns trials were over on Friday, with OHearn convicted of more than 40 offences against six victims. OHearn was first stood down in May 2008 after allegations were reported to police.
Im relieved because it means an end of the trials for his victims. The stress that those young people must have been under for all this time is quite upsetting to think about, Mr Stanwell said.
Hes dragged this out. Hes been in denial from day one. Hes a person who thinks he can do what he likes and get away with it, Mr Stanwell said.
He was not surprised to hear that OHearns supporters waved flowers in court for him, or that OHearn repeatedly urged them to Keep the faith in him despite juries finding him guilty of child sex offences, or that he implored them to Keep up the fight on his behalf.
Hes a very manipulative man. Hes able to woo people with his personality. There are definitely people who see him as a little god and it wont matter that different juries have found him guilty of these offences. Theyll always think hes a victim because thats what hes told them, Mr Stanwell said.
The two men met in the mid 1990s when OHearn was parish priest and Mr Stanwell was a Catholic teacher, who went on to become principal of a Rutherford Catholic primary school.
They clashed in 1998 over whether the school should expand to take more enrolments, and after teachers expressed concern about OHearns forceful behaviour.
Mr Stanwell unsuccessfully appealed to the then Maitland Newcastle Bishop Michael Malone, saying he found himself in a difficult situation because his views on issues including the schools expansion did not align with OHearns, and the two men could not reach agreement.
Bishop Malone responded by saying he was happy to endorse the priests leadership, and was sorry you found it necessary to bring what is essentially a local matter to me.
Mr Stanwell was stood down several weeks later after the two men clashed at a parish committee meeting, and Mr Stanwell later confronted OHearn.
I told him I thought he was a liar, a deceiver and a hypocrite, that hed divided every parish hed been in and that he did not deserve to be called a Catholic priest, Mr Stanwell said.
He punched OHearn seven months later, in March 1999, after a clash over Mr Stanwells decision to complain to the Vatican over OHearn.
I was really angry with him. It was in a narrow passageway between the church and the sacristy and I gave him a whack, Mr Stanwell said.
I walked home and half an hour later the cops were there.
Mr Stanwell pleaded guilty and was placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond.
He resumed teaching after successful unfair dismissal proceedings, but did not regain his principals position.
Mr Stanwell said he believed his experiences with the church and two child sex offender priests contributed to his problems with alcohol.
I think Ive paid a heavy price, but the children who were molested by these men have paid a much heavier one, he said.
The failure of the church to stop Denis McAlinden, after Mr Stanwell twice drove from Merriwa to Newcastle to report him to Bishop Leo Clarke, was shattering.
They moved him from Merriwa to Adamstown where he molested very young girls. I only found that out in 2012 and I was devastated, Mr Stanwell said.
I go to church because I feel supported by the people, but I dont think the church has really accepted what its done to so many people.
