Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy tax-return trial continues

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The trial of Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy on nine tax-return charges was continuing at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin. He has pleaded not guilty. The proceedings were reported on 16 October 2015.

The charges concern alleged failures to submit returns to the Collector General or Inspector of Taxes for 1996/97 to 2004. They cover his income, profits or gains, or information identifying their source.

Prosecutors alleged that Murphy made no revenue returns despite substantial cattle and land dealings and farming grants received from the Department of Agriculture. The prosecution followed a Criminal Assets Bureau investigation.

The trial heard evidence of cattle trading exceeding €370,000 over five years by a man named Thomas Murphy. Three mart employees described giving gardaí invoices and other documents concerning business under that name.

Peter O'Reilly, formerly Carnaross Mart's office manager, said the records supplied to gardaí covered purchases from June 2004 to December 2005. Answering prosecutor Paul Burns SC, he put their value at €69,150.

At Ballyjamesduff Cattle Mart, office administrator Patricia Reilly described purchases by Thomas Murphy exceeding €200,000 during 2000–2004. She said payments were made using cash and cheques.

Under questioning from defence counsel John Kearney QC, Patricia Reilly accepted that buying cattle on behalf of a herd number was commonplace. Earlier evidence concerned a 1991 herd-number application by a man named Thomas Murphy. The court had heard that the Department of Agriculture issues these numbers to farmers for cattle registration.

Gerry Connellan, who managed Elphin Co-op Livestock Mart, gave evidence of cattle purchases worth €98,000 by Thomas Murphy during 1999–2004.