A farmer who admitted possession of illegal cattle growth promoters was given a suspended jail sentence and was fined £22,500 yesterday. Mr Richard Bourns (40), of Lisbeg Estate, Eyrecourt, Co Galway, pleaded guilty at a special sitting of Athlone district court last Wednesday to a total of 32 summonses relating to the possession of banned growth promoters, the illegal movement of cattle and obstruction of Department of Agriculture offices.
The offences occurred in 1991 and in 1995 on a farm which was stocked with 702 cattle and 1,100 sheep.
The court heard how the defendant's wife, Ms Deirdre Bourns, ran barefoot from their home with a cassette case which contained substances during a search by Department officials. The State withdrew summonses against Ms Bourns.
Ms Bourns was seven months pregnant when the search was carried out on the family farm on January 10th, 1995, the court was told.
Some weeks later, after suffering foetal distress, she gave birth to a baby daughter by Caesarian section but the child died 12 hours later. She had also been diagnosed as suffering from severe spinal arthritis.
In a plea for leniency, Mr Paddy McEntee SC told Judge Mary Fahey that Ms Bourns's health had broken as a result of the incidents and Mr Bourns now wanted to put the entire business behind him and become a responsible father and husband. He would have nothing more to do with cattle hormones or prohibited substances.
Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Fahey said the charges before the court were very serious and there were good reasons for banning the substances. There was a suspicion that these substances were unsafe from a health point of view and that they may be carcinogenic.
The judge said Mr Bourns had continued to offend and had persisted in using the substances on his well-stocked lucrative farm, knowing the seriousness of the offence.
"One can only conclude that greed was his motive and the only intention was to increase profits through the use of growth hormones."
Judge Fahey imposed fines totalling £22,500 and two consecutive six-month jail sentences which she suspended for two years because of what she termed the extenuating circumstances in the case. She also ordered him to pay £1,000 costs and said she believed the penalties would be deemed to be fair and just.
Binding Mr Bourns to the peace for two years, she warned him that he would serve the sentences if he reoffended.