A man who was told a 15-month prison sentence would be suspended if he gave information to the authorities on who supplied him with illegal animal drugs and who he had supplied had his case adjourned again in Tullamore District Court yesterday.
Judge John Neilan was told Frank Deegan, Lynally, Tullamore, had not had any contact with the Department of Agriculture and Food since the last court hearing in October except when his premises at Market Square, Tullamore, was searched in December. A Department of Agriculture veterinary inspector, Mr Pat Brangan, said that during the search he had found out-of-date worming doses which should not have been on the shelf.
Department investigator Mr Declan Holmes said he had not had contact with Deegan who pleaded guilty to 20 summonses at the October sitting for possessing syringes for injecting illegal growth promoters in October 1998 near Birr.
At that hearing the judge adjourned the case to allow Deegan to provide information on his supplier and on whom he supplied and had warned him it was up to himself whether he went to prison for 15 months.
Yesterday, his counsel, Mr Colm Smyth, said there had been "a misunderstanding" about how information would be transmitted and to whom.
Mr Smyth said Deegan was in the process of delivering on another promise he made to the court in October, that he would sell the business.
Mr Eanna Mulloy for the Department, said there had been no information forthcoming in the past four months and he did not see why the matter should be adjourned. Judge Neilan said he was adjourning the case for the last time and he wanted to see the defendant deliver good-quality intelligence well ahead of the next court sitting.
The judge imposed a fine of £500 with £300 witness expenses on the charge of offering for sale the out-of-date worming doses.
He adjourned the matter to March 15th.