Paul Hyde of Castlefields, Baltimore, Co Cork pleaded guilty to two planning offences in June of this year and was originally sentenced to two months in prison.
The 51-year-old pleaded guilty to not declaring a small piece of land at Pope’s Hill in Cork City and of failing to declare properties he owned to which receivers had been appointed to.
At a sitting of the Cork Circuit Appeals Court today defence barrister Tom Creed Senior Counsel said it was unfortunate that certain digital media- not the mainstream media- had portrayed Paul Hyde as being corrupt in some fashion when he had never been investigated for any kind of corruption.
Judge Colin Daly said Hyde must have been aware how important it was to declare interests and concluded the matter was at the higher end of the range of culpability.
He considered the fact that Paul Hyde had pled guilty, was of good character, had not gained materially and had lost his job and reputation.
Judge Daly said an inquiry had found no actual bias and that the lack of bias is important. He also said that the lack of perception of bias is also very important due to the role formerly held by Hyde.
He sentenced him to three months in prison for each of the two summons to run concurrently and suspended the sentence for 12 months.
He also fined him €6,000 and gave him 90 days to pay.
When asked if he would keep the peace and be of good behaviour, Paul Hyde replied ‘Yes’.
