A CO Galway farmer has been fined £5,000 for possession of the illegal growth promoter, clenbuterol, known as "angel dust", and other illegal items on his farm six years ago.
Eamon Heagney (32), a father of two, of Tully House, Eyrecourt, was convicted on five summonses relating to the possession of a quantity of clenbuterol, an illegal hormone implant gun and other substances and items.
The prosecution followed a search by Department of Agriculture and Food officers of the farm jointly owned by him and his brother, Mr Con Heagney, on which they were said to be fattening 2,000 sheep and 100 cattle.
Similar summonses against Mr Con Heagney, also of Tully House, Eyrecourt, were adjourned until July 28th for a hearing date In be fixed.
The court heard the items and substances were found in various sheds during the search of the farm on October 23rd, 1991.
Mr Brendan Grehan BL, defending, told the court that Eamon Heagney had researched and developed a lucrative contract with a Spanish importer for the supply of a special kind of sheepmeat which involved huge capital investment. This business had been wiped out as a result of a restriction order on the farm which had lasted for six weeks.
He told Judge Mary Fahy that before the summonses were issued, Eamon Heagney had taken steps to separate himself entirely and had obtained his own herd number for land which he now leased.
The court heard that none of the animals tested on the Heagney farm during the 1991 search had shown traces of prohibited substances.
Judge Fahy said the courts could never have sympathy for farmers who suffered financial losses as a consequence of having illegal substances found on their farms.
She went on to commend media coverage of such cases which had been very fair. "I think they (the media) ate doing a service to the public who should be aware of these types of offences"