Farm fraud jury adjourns

Four pleaded not guilty at Downpatrick Crown Court

The jury in the case of two vets and a farming couple accused of conspiracy to defraud the Ministry of Defence has adjourned until Monday morning.

The accused are vets Seamus Michael Fegan, 40, from Bridge Road and 48-year-old Edward Rooney of Milltown Street, both Burren in County Down.

They are charged along with farmer Liam Anthony Francis McCullough from Quarter Road, Camlough, in County Armagh, and his wife Patricia Anne McCullough.

The four face 62 counts of conspiracy to defraud in connection with compensation claims for livestock said to have died as result of low flying army helicopters in south Armagh.

Clarification

On the third day of its deliberations on Friday, the jury at Downpatrick Crown Court asked for clarification of analysis given by a hand writing expert who linked one of the defendants, Patricia McCullough, with compensation claims against the MoD.

Justice Campbell repeated that the jury should not feel under any time pressure in coming to a decision.

It is alleged the accused claimed compensation for sheep, cows and horses they said had died as a result of low-flying Army helicopters.

The defendants have denied the charges throughout the trial, which started last September.

The court has heard about animals breaking their backs, sheep being drowned and cows aborting.

Some of the compensation claims were alleged to be around £800, while other claims were for up to £8,000, for instances when several animals were alleged to have been involved.

The compensation claims totalled more than £100,000.

Lord Justice Campbell, said he thought the case was one of the longest in Northern Ireland's legal history.

It is understood the trial has cost in the region of £4m.