Farmer who told repo men to strip naked and get into pen with agitated boar is sent to jail

A pig farmer from County Longford has been imprisoned following the dismissal of his appeal against conviction at the Court of Appeal. Donal Connaughton, aged 58, from Newtowncashel, was found guilty by jury at Longford Circuit Criminal Court in 2013 of false imprisonment, threatening to cause serious harm, assault causing harm, and criminal damage. The offences occurred on 29 April 2010 at his piggery when two repossession employees arrived to recover items on behalf of a finance company. During the incident, Connaughton made aggressive threats towards the men and ordered them to undress and enter a pen with an agitated boar. An audio recording captured by the repossession men corroborated their accounts of the incident. Connaughton was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment by Mr Justice Tony Hunt in November 2013. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, found no grounds to question the safety of the verdict and dismissed the appeal, describing the recorded evidence as crystal clear.