A company engaged in the transport of horses from Ireland to Italy yesterday secured High Court orders preventing the sale or disposal of a livestock trailer worth £50,000.
Ms Justice Laffoy granted the interim orders to Mr Colm Bowman, for Bloodstock Transport Ltd (BTL), Tower Street, Ramsey, Isle of Man, against Kevin Devlin Transport Ltd (KDTL) and Mr Kevin Devlin, both with addresses at Kilcoole, Co Wicklow.
In an affidavit, Mr Piers Dalton of Bordighera, Imeria, Italy, said he was one of the beneficial owners of BTL. It had a business relationship with the defendant company until October 1998. There was £7,350 outstanding to KDTL in October 1998 but that debt had been discharged.
Since ceasing business with KDTL, BTL had entered an arrangement with George Mullins Ltd of Close Sutton, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow.
He said Mr Kevin Devlin had told him on January 27th last, in a telephone conversation, that monies were still outstanding to KDTL and he wanted the money immediately. If that did not happen, the BTL's livestock trailer would not leave the country.
Mr Dalton said he believed the trailer was taken from Mr Mullins's yard on January 30th.
He said he had handed over £924 to Mr Kevin Devlin, the amount which he believed was owed to KDTL, and had asked for his trailer back. Mr Devlin had said it would cost "an awful lot more" to get the trailer back.