The trial of Thomas “Slab” Murphy, the prominent republican, for alleged tax evasion, has heard a man named Thomas Murphy applied for a herd number in 1991 (Daniel Hickey writes).
The prosecution claim that, although Mr Murphy received grants from the Department of Agriculture and also conducted significant dealings in relation to cattle and land, he failed to make any returns to revenue for a number of years. A herd number is issued by the Department of Agriculture to farmers for the purpose of registering cattle.
Mr Murphy, 66, of Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth, has pleaded not guilty at the non-jury special criminal court in Dublin to nine charges alleging that he failed to declare any income, profits or gains from 1996 to 2004.
Mr Murphy’s prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Criminal Assets Bureau.
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Pat Rafferty, a retired employee of the Department of Agriculture, told Paul Burns, SC, prosecuting, that in 1991 he received an application form for a herd number from a man named Thomas Murphy, with an address at Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth.
Mr Rafferty told the court that the application form was signed by a Thomas Murphy.
The trial has previously heard that applications using that herd number were made to the Department of Agriculture for various grants, totalling at least €100,000 over a period of eight years.
Mr Rafferty visited the farm at Ballybinaby to carry out an inspection before issuing the herd number, the court heard.
When asked by Mr Burns who he met during the farm inspection, Mr Rafferty said, “I honestly don’t know who I met that day. More than likely I met the applicant.”
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The trial continues.