Garlic tax man awaits ruling on 6-year term

The former head of the country’s biggest fruit and vegetable company must wait to learn if his appeal against his six-year sentence for failing to pay import tax on garlic has been successful after the Court of Criminal Appeal reserved judgment.

Paul Begley, aged 47, of Begley Brothers Ltd, Blanchardstown, Co Dublin, avoided paying higher custom duty on over 1,000 tonnes of garlic imported from China by having consignments labelled as apples.

Last March he was jailed for six years by Judge Martin Nolan after pleading guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four sample counts of evading customs duty. While the maximum sentence is five years in prison or a fine of three times the value of the goods, Judge Martin Nolan imposed the maximum terms on one count and a consecutive one-year term on another.