Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy found guilty of tax evasion

Prominent Irish republican Thomas “Slab” Murphy has been found guilty of tax evasion.

The 66-year-old, from Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, Co Louth, a farm that straddles the border with Northern Ireland, denied nine charges of failing to comply with tax laws in the Irish Republic

Following a 32-day trial at the three judge Special Criminal Court in Dublin, Murphy was convicted on all nine charges.

The prosecution alleged the farmer did not furnish authorities with a return of income, profits or gains or the sources of them over eight years from 1996 to 2004.

Judge Paul Butler, presiding in the non-jury court, remanded Murphy on continuing bail ahead of sentencing.

“The court is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that in the case of each of the individual accounts on the indictment the accused is guilty,” he told the court.

The sentencing issue will be mentioned in court on February 12.

Dressed in a brown jacket, trousers and a pink open-neck shirt, Murphy sat alone in the public gallery for the verdict.

A number of friends and relatives sat separately a short distance away.

During his closing submission, defence senior counsel John Kearney had told the court it was Murphy’s brother Patrick who ran the operation at Ballybinaby and controlled the finances of the farm.

It was also alleged during the trial that some of the documents purported to have been signed by Murphy had been forged.

Opening the judgment, Judge Butler said the court was aware of widespread publicity around the trial and references to Murphy’s “unconnected activities”.

He said: “While the court is wholly aware of that publicity, it has no bearing whatsoever upon the Revenue charges brought against the accused in these proceedings and the court is in no way influenced by that publicity.”

PA