A building subcontractor has been sentenced to 16 months imprisonment and fined €18,700 following a conviction for 15 tax offences.

Judge John O'Donnell sentenced Myles Columba Gillespie, Coshclady, Bunbeg, Co Donegal, for the offences at Glenties District Court yesterday. At a hearing in Dungloe District Court on July 12th, the Revenue estimated Gillespie's tax liability at €700,000.

He organised labour gangs for building contractors and paid the workers cash. Gillespie failed to give their names and addresses to the Revenue Commissioners.

Defence solicitor Jackie Sharkey said her client had entered a plea to the 15 charges, and that he had been "busy trying to get copies of all his bank statements" since the last hearing.

At that hearing the court heard that the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) interviewed Gillespie about his dealings with one particular building contractor. Ms Sharkey told the court yesterday that he had been "as forthcoming as he could be" with the CAB.

She said he had not got the money to pay the tax liability but had offered to pay out of whatever he was earning.

However, Judge O'Donnell said that he was not satisfied that Gillespie had co-operated sufficiently with the Revenue Commissioners. He fined him €13,200 on 11 offences of failing to make VAT returns between 2001 and 2003 and also sentenced him to four months imprisonment.

He imposed three further four-month consecutive prison sentences for an incorrect return of income tax in 2001, failure to file an income tax return for the year ending December 2002, and failing to keep proper books and records under the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997. He also fined him a further €5,500. Recognisances in the event of an appeal were fixed at €5,000 on Gillespie's own bond and an independent surety of €10,000.

An order was also made that he surrender his passport to the DPP. The judge stayed the sentence for 14 days.