Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy withdraws appeal against prison sentence

Prominent republican Thomas "Slab" Murphy has withdrawn an appeal against his 18-month prison sentence for tax evasion.

The 67-year-old, whose farm at Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth, straddles the border with Northern Ireland, had pleaded not guilty at the non-jury Special Criminal Court to nine charges of failing to comply with tax laws in the Irish Republic for the years 1996/97 to 2004.

The three-judge Special Criminal Court found Murphy guilty on all counts and he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment on February 26th last.

In an unsuccessful appeal against conviction, Murphy’s lawyers told the Court of Appeal that their client had “nothing to do with cattle farming” and that the authorities “went after” Thomas Murphy for tax his brother, Patrick, had already paid. On Monday last, his conviction appeal was dismissed on all grounds.

After his appeal was dismissed, Murphy’s barrister, Tony McGillicuddy BL, asked the court for time to allow instructions be taken to see whether an appeal against sentence was being pursued.

Mr McGillicuddy told the court on Monday that Murphy’s appeal against sentence “is being withdrawn”.

Mr Justice George Birmingham thanked Mr McGillicuddy for the "clarification". Murphy was not in court for the matter.