A former Sinn Fein councillor was one of three men acquitted yesterday of attempting to evade duty on over 14,000 bottles of vodka.
Mr Hugh Brady, who was forced to resign his seat on Derry City Council eight years ago following his conviction for possessing cannabis resin, was found not guilty by direction when the Director of Public Prosecution offered no evidence on the first day of the trial at Derry Crown Court.
Mr Brady (45), unemployed, was jointly charged with his brother, Robert (45), unemployed, and Mr Owen Deehan (35), all from Derry, with fraudulently attempting to evade duty on 14,095 bottles of Kirov vodka at Bay Road, Derry, on February 21st, 1998.
When a DPP barrister told the court that he was offering no evidence against the three co-accused, Judge Tom Burgess instructed the jury to find the three accused not guilty by direction.
Judge Burgess said the three accused left the court acquitted "and with no stain on their character". He said had the trial gone ahead it would have lasted for up to three weeks.