Judgment has been reserved in a case against a Co Longford beef supplier who was found in possession of illegal growth hormones, implant guns and 15 animals which tested positive for Trenbolone, a prohibited substance. He is also charged with obstructing Department of Agriculture officials as they tried to carry out an investigation.
The hearing concluded in Longford yesterday, but Judge Murrough Connellan will not deliver his verdict until next week. Some 55 charges were brought against Davis Meats Ltd, Drumlish, Co Longford; the owner of the company, Mr Liam Davis, and his father, John Davis.
John Davis is no longer a member of the company, but his son is a 99 per cent shareholder. John Davis, however, has pleaded guilty to possession of the banned substances, the implant guns and needles and has taken full responsibility for them. He said the implant guns were not illegal when he bought them, and that his son had no knowledge of these items or where they were.
"He'd have no need to know anything about it. He was never interested in the treatment of cattle," he said.
The charges date back to April 1995 when officials searched the property of Mr Davis and found two hormone implant guns, needles and hormone cartridges at the abattoir.
When the hearing began, defence counsel argued that Mr Davis's constitutional rights were infringed when officers of the Department searched his house. Officers claimed that the property searched was not in fact a private dwelling but an office and therefore they did not infringe his constitutional rights. Judge Connellan ruled in the officials' favour.
Urine samples were taken from Mr Davis's cattle herd the day after the search and laboratory tests showed that 15 animals had been given illegal growth hormones. The animals were kept at the farm of Mr Thomas Reynolds, Barne, Edgeworthstown, Co Longford. Giving evidence, Mr Reynolds said the Davis family "rarely" called to check their animals. "They generally left the handling of the stock to me." Summing up, counsel for Mr Davis said: "Nobody has been able to say `Yes, we saw Mr Liam Davis placing implants in animals'."
He suggested that somebody other than John Davis or his son could have been responsible for the implants. As there is no testing system in place for animals at a mart, he suggested the animals might have been implanted before they were purchased. Judge Connellan will deliver his verdict on Tuesday.